


ROULETTE

by Lhuna



Series: Roulette [1]
Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternative Perspective, Blood and Violence, Canon - Video Game, Canon - Video Game Dub, Dead People, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Murder, My First AO3 Post, Non-Consensual Violence, Not Beta Read, Other: See Story Notes, Series Spoilers, Tags May Change, based on DWRP, being thrown into a television, changes perspectives, heart-wrenching scenes, implied skeeviness, major persona 3 spoilers, major persona 4 spoilers, mentions of other persona plot elements, much sadder than canon, not sure how to tag this, some canon knowledge required, spoilers for persona 3, warning: tohru adachi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-07
Updated: 2014-01-13
Packaged: 2018-01-07 21:31:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 44,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1124596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lhuna/pseuds/Lhuna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life is fragile. Bonds are important. The mistakes of one person shape the lives of many, many others--when released, a single butterfly can affect everything it passes, rippling, distorting, changing... Souji Seta, a normal boy who gains an extraordinary ability, settles into the very beginning of his year in Inaba... and at first, it's all going quietly. But mysterious dreams, strange limousine attendants, and a drastic destiny await him... will his choices lead to failure, or friendship? Happiness, or tragedy? Sometimes, it's all down to a game of Russian Roulette--you could just be in the wrong place at the wrong time, firing the wrong shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Chamber » The start of the game.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic follows the timeline of the ORIGINAL Persona 4, and sort of before I knew a lot about Arena. The Golden is NOT included, as such, Marie was not written into the story. It does, however, borrow bits of the Accomplice Route and Adachi's Social Link as inspiration. It is intended to be read by those who at least know the game in passing.
> 
> The first few chapter(s) will not contain any major spoilers or hints on the plot; later works will, however, include major divergences and the like. It is based off the idea of an alternate reality wherein, due to events after Persona 3's ending, Minato Arisato lingers as an attendant himself--now named Michael. Knowledge of Persona 3 is not necessary, but there WILL be spoilers for it in its entirety later. I know this one is short, but that's because two contains a bit more.
> 
> Cheers!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souji Seta, an average student, experiences a not so average series of early events while arriving to the town of Inaba, his rural home for the next year. But all is not as peaceful as it seems, in Inaba, and in reality, he is wholly unaware he is entering into a dangerous game of chance...

* * *

The sound of the city and all the noises from the crowd around me blurs together. Even if I focus, all I can hear are people gossiping back and forth. The city’s always been noisy, but I’ve lived in one for a fairly long time. Not the same city, exactly—but cities all the same. You get used to being near a lot of people at once and tend to focus on yourself, or who you’re with, so everyone else just becomes background noise. Today, though, I’m not with anyone else. It might be because I’m alone that all I can really think about is having to move again. I don’t have the ability to protest, since my parents are working overseas, and I’m staying with them. I can’t really complain about it; we’ve always been financially secure because of their jobs, but... well, being shipped around makes things a little lonely. Still, it’s not as though I was _really_ close to anyone, but leaving the place and people I’d only just gotten used to after these last months was still hard.

Thinking back on the other day, maybe I should’ve said goodbye. It occurs to me just now I never really bothered to get their cellphone numbers, either...

* * *

_The scene is one of a quiet classroom. A tall young man with gray hair and matching eyes stands at the front of the class, near the podium. He’s wearing the uniform of what’s likely a private school, a suit and a tie, matching the other young men in the class. The teacher is standing next to him. Looks like he was called up front over something happening. He seems resigned to what’s going on, whatever it is. The teacher clears his throat before speaking._

_“As you all know, at the end of the month, he’ll be transferring cities, which means he’ll be leaving us today...”_

_There’s a small uproar of disappointed noise from the students, making various comments._

_“Aw, man...”_

_“Again? Didn’t he just transfer here this year?”_

_“I hear his parents have jobs that take them all over the place... he must have to move a lot. I wonder if he’s been overseas?”_

_“But that means we won’t get to see him anymore!”_

_“Yeah, he only just got here!”_

_The teacher raises his hand, signaling the class to quiet down, somewhat annoyed._

_“Hey, everyone, settle down—I’m not finished yet.” You couldn’t really read the expression on the young man’s face; it’s blank. But what was going through his mind at the time was..._

* * *

_‘I don’t want to move again.’_ That’s what I was thinking. It gets old, and I didn’t really want to leave, but not so badly I was going to protest it. Besides, I couldn’t, it had already been decided. I hadn’t even really had the chance to get to know everyone... but if I’m honest, I didn’t see a point in getting too close to anyone, either. I’m just too used to having to move without a moment’s notice that I didn’t want to take the chance. As I’m thinking about this, a woman’s voice comes on over the train’s loudspeaker:

_“Will those headed to Yaso Inaba please board at the other platform... thank you.”_

More moving around, huh... well, it’s not really that big a deal. I’m not all that bothered by it anymore. I used to be, when I was younger, but you get used to it after awhile. I pick my bag up and get up out of my seat, headed toward the door. I have to make quick apologies and excuse myself past a large crowd of people, since the train is fairly full. Trains in the city always are. Once I make it to the door, finally, I head out and transfer trains, taking the less crowded one on the other platform. I’m used to traveling by myself—my parents move around a lot, so it’s not like this is anything out of the ordinary. As I get on, I hear a lot of people huddled around the lone television on the platform nearby, going on about some sort of news scandal between an announcer and some politician. It doesn’t really catch my attention, and when the doors shut, it’s the last thing I’m thinking about.

The train continues onward toward the countryside. I stare out the window, wondering if this year is going to be at all different from all the years before it. My parents kind of just shipped me off to Inaba without a word of warning, and I had to leave the city I’d only just gotten settled into behind. Living with my uncle and my little cousin... it’s been a long time since I last saw Dojima-san, my mother’s younger brother. I was little at the time I last saw him, and I’ve never met his daughter, Nanako; she hadn’t been born at the time. I’ll be in this place I’m headed toward for an entire year... I can’t help but hope maybe this year will give me a chance to finally settle somewhere. Maybe it’ll be a good place for a new start... well, that’s what I’m hoping, at least. Even if I’ll be leaving in a year, I might still find I like it there. ... I hope. It probably won’t be as busy as back in the city. I guess I’ll have to find a way to entertain myself. As I get farther away from civilization, I begin to feel tired. My eyelids get heavy. The train is fairly empty; there’s not really anyone to talk to... it’s quiet...

... Well, I probably won’t miss my stop, it’s still a few hours away. What could it hurt to take a nap? I close my eyes and doze for a little while... and I can feel myself drifting...

* * *

When I open my eyes, I’m not on the train anymore. I can still hear the steady noises of travel, but it’s not the drum of the train going over tracks. Rather, it’s the steady thrum of a car’s engine and the sound of wheels on smooth pavement. As I blearily blink my eyes open, I realize that I’m... in a limousine, I think? I don’t even know where it’s heading. I can’t determine my surroundings, or who’s driving. In front of me and to the left is a cabinet full of various kinds of bottles and glasses for drinks—it looks like a mini bar, so it’s probably alcohol. I’m sitting on a comfortable blue seat, too. ... In fact, now that I look at it, _everything_ in this room is some shade of blue. From the ceiling to the carpeting, to the seats, even the lighting... all blue. As I take all this in, I realize with something of a small start that I’m not alone: an odd-looking person sits across from me on a similar seat, with a blue table in front of him. He’s a bizarre-looking older man with a ridiculously long nose. He’s wearing an expensive looking suit, his gloved hands resting on a cane of some sort. There’s... honestly no easy way to describe this man, aside from ‘odd’, or maybe ‘slightly ominous’. His ears are pointed, his hair is long and white, his eyes look bloodshot... in fact, it’s him that makes me start to realize I’m probably dreaming. It takes me a bit to notice that there’s a second person, because her eyes were shut just a moment before. She’s in stark contrast to long-nosed man on the other side. She looks nothing like he does, and she blends into the room so well I had to pay attention to notice her at all.

The bizarre-looking man speaks, making a gesture with one hand, the other still on his cane.

“Welcome... to the **Velvet Room**.”

I remain quiet, unsure what to say. The bizarre-looking man speaks again, undeterred. Just what the heck is going on, anyway? What is this place? How did I end up here? And am I still asleep?

“Ah... It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny...” He chuckles, before continuing. It’s... kind of creepy. “My name is **Igor**... I am delighted to make your acquaintance.”

The only thing I can think when he introduces himself is that he certainly _looks_ like someone who would be an Igor. He goes on.

“This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter... It is a room that only those who are bound by a **contract** may enter... It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future.”

... Should I be on the lookout for devils asking for my soul in exchange for something, then? This all sounds quite shady, and yet... I get the feeling they’re here to help me, despite the somewhat intimidating feeling Igor and the entire limo is giving off.

“Now, then... why don’t you introduce yourself?”

That’s right, I had forgotten my manners. (Though, can I be faulted for that, given the bizarreness of what’s likely a dream?) I guess I was just so preoccupied with this odd place that I didn’t think about telling him my name. I pause for a moment before answering.

“... Souji Seta.” Is my reply. It feels odd to say my name here, almost as though I could have forgotten it completely. Igor nods to himself, before he answers.

“Hm... I see.”

For a moment, I almost expected him to tell me something like, ‘that’s not your _real_ name, is it?’ But he doesn’t say that. Now that I think about it, my name _is_ a little plain. Maybe I should have made up a fake name, something interesting... something like... Yu Narukami. Yeah, that would sound like something the character in a manga would have. Sadly, it’s a little too late for coming up with cool-sounding fake names. ... Though... I think Igor would know I was lying to him. He seems like the sort of person who can tell when you lie, so there’s no point in being dishonest. The better question here is _what_ does he see, anyway? I have no idea what’s going on, and just as I’m considering asking, he continues speaking.

“Now, let’s take a look into your future, shall we?” He places a hand over the table in front of him, and as if by magic, a stack of cards appear in front of him. They’re glowing a faint blue, as if made of neon. Igor looks up to me, now.

“Do you believe in fortune telling?” He asks, moving his hand over the cards again. They lay themselves face-down, in a circular pattern, on the table in the blink of an eye. It’s incredible to watch someone do things like this so casually. “Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different...”

He chuckles again. ... I’m never going to get used to that; it’s kind of creepy.

“Life itself follows the same principals, doesn’t it?”

... He’s gotten me thinking about it now, and I realize, in a way, he’s right. Different people in the same scenario will react differently every time. Could it be that I’m just another person in another scenario...? ... Thinking about this too much makes my head spin. Igor moves his hand over the table, turning it over slowly, and the first card turns itself over with him as he does. It depicts a large tower being struck down by lightning, collapsing. I get the feeling this is a bad omen. ... Just call it intuition—I mean, it’s not like the card is _ominous-looking_ in any form, after all.

“Hm... The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent...”

 _How_ did I know he’d say that? I’ve never even thought about Tarot much before now, and somehow, I expected that.

“The card representing the immediate future after that is...” He turns the card over the same way yet again, without touching it. “The Moon, in the upright position.”

... He’d better not be saying I’m going to get bitten by a Werewolf in my immediate future! I don’t think I could deal with the fleas.

“This card represents "hesitation" and "mystery"... Very interesting indeed.” He seems to be mulling this over, but he never stops smiling that odd smile, even the whole time. “It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you.”

He’s talking about the train! ... Something bad happening at Inaba, though? That peaceful, boring community...? I find it a little hard to believe, but given the way he’s telling me all this, it’s hard to _dis_ believe him at the same time.

“In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny... If the mystery goes unsolved, **your future may be forever lost**.”

His last words send a chill up my spine. I swallow. I’m suddenly on-edge... if what he says is true, if I fail, what will happen...? And what will this mystery I need to solve even be? How will I solve it? I have so many questions to ask, but I can’t bring myself to even ask them right now, or interrupt him. I just remain silent. Igor continues speaking, despite my unease.

“My duty is to provide assistance to our guests, to ensure that _does not_ happen.”

Well, it was good to know he was on my side, at least. He waves a hand, and the cards disappear... once they’re gone, he pauses, and then speaks again, as if remembering something.

“Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistants to you. My apologies.”

... To tell you the truth, I’d completely forgotten about the woman until he mentioned her just now. She kind of blended into the background, and my attention had been entirely focused on Igor once he started speaking. He turns to look at the woman to the right, motioning to her before placing a hand back on his cane. But... he said assistants, plural, didn’t he? Who is the other person...?

“This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself.” Margaret turns to me and speaks, now. She’s a woman with long, silvery-blonde hair and yellow eyes. She’s looking directly at me... I can tell she’s sizing me up, wondering if I’m really worthy of being here. I’m suddenly feeling uncomfortable, and look away from her eyes, which seem to look right through me.

“My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey.”

While she’s talking, I take a moment to let what she’s wearing sink in. She looks so fragile, for a moment, I wonder if she might be made of glass... either way, without a doubt, I can say she’s certainly beautiful. She, too, wears very formal clothing, but it’s not like Igor’s suit: a long blue coat that reaches just past her knees, with four circular, yellow buttons on the front, and several more near the ends of her sleeves. It’s intricate and expensive-looking, and a large blue belt adorns the center. She’s wearing long black stockings, and even her short heeled shoes are blue. A black choker of some sort on her neck and a small blue headband in her hair completes the outfit. Now that I’ve gotten a better look at her, I notice a large book rests in her lap. I can’t quite make out the text from here, but I’m pretty sure that I can see the word "Grimoire" on the front. A magic book, maybe? Isn’t that what a grimoire is? ... I’m not really sure, to be honest. Either way, she really matches the room... even blends in with it. If it weren’t for her hair and those eyes, and Igor’s introduction, I might not have even noticed her.

... I decide to look in the other direction entirely now, feeling a little shy with her staring at me like that. Besides that, I don’t want to seem rude for staring back. Igor then turns to look to his left, motioning to someone with his other hand before returning it once more to his cane.

“And this is Michael. He, too, is a resident of this Velvet Room, just as Margaret and myself are. I simply ask that you treat him with respect, despite his young age. There is more to a person than their appearance, after all.”

Igor does that same creepy chuckle as he has several times before in our conversation. I’ll never get used to it. ... But now that he’s pointed it out, it’s only in this moment that I finally take notice of the fact there’s actually _three_ people in the room, rather than just two. Even now, I’d completely looked past him until Igor mentioned him—the third person, a young man by the looks of it, blends in with the environment so well that, at a glance, I didn’t even see him. Everything about him blends in, due to all the blue he’s wearing and his pale complexion. Even his hair matches the bizarre blue theme of this room: it’s a sky blue color, in contrast to Margaret and Igor’s silvery blonde and white.

“My name is Michael. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Seta. ... Or, do you prefer Seta-san?”

I shake my head no to him. I honestly don’t mind if he prefers to use some English rather than Japanese. ... But him calling me ‘Mister’ like that makes me feel like an old man, or something. I’m only seventeen, and he looks to be no older than me, so the formality is... strange. For the first time since I was summoned here, I feel comfortable giving more than just my name, or a yes or no answer. Something about Michael puts me at ease.

“I’m not picky, really,” I tell him. “Just use whatever comes naturally for you.”

There’s a pause from the assistant, here, as if he’s contemplating saying something else. As he does so, I take a moment to think about all of this. He... seems to be far less uncertain about me than Margaret is, even though she didn’t say it directly, I could tell she wasn’t entirely sure what to make of me. In fact, I get the feeling Michael is assured of my success in whatever this so-called ‘mystery’ ahead of me is. His voice is that of someone who seems to have a good deal of faith in people, someone who cares a lot about my own feelings. At the very least, it seems as though he’ll be easy to get along with. Michael finally decides on his next sentence, the small amount of hesitation previously gone from his voice.

“I, too, will accompany you during your journey. Please, be at ease with us. We are here to assist you as best as we can.”

The way he says that... I... how should I put this? I get this odd feeling that Michael knows more about me, more about _everything_ than he’s alluding to, but not in the way that makes me suspicious of him—no, it’s not like that at all. It’s more like... a feeling that, in a way, tells me he’ll make sure I’m taken care of. As though I’m safe, with him around. It’s a strange feeling, and it causes me to try and get a better look at him, wondering if I’ve encountered him at some point in my past. But... I don’t think I have. Still, now that I’m finally getting a good look at him, I realize how he feels is completely different from when I look at Margaret. They’re total opposites, actually, except perhaps in the uniform they’re wearing, which is quite similar. Though, unlike her, Michael is wearing a pair of white gloves, and a pair of navy blue glasses, which compliment his outfit. I can’t get closer to get a better look at him, but it seems like the glasses are square frames with yellow stripes on the front, and that his eyes are a bright turquoise green color behind them. His coat is also designed differently in a lot of ways; the collar goes up a lot higher, for example, and has two yellow buttons on it. The front is very similar to Margaret’s, but is one solid piece of material where hers was made of several different kinds. It’s also lined with yellow, black, and blue buttons down the front (whereas hers were just yellow rings) and is highlighted with brighter shades of blue in stripes going down the shoulders and the front in L-shaped patterns all the way to the bottom. Like Margaret’s outfit, his also has a belt, though it’s located near his waist, and there’s a large blue and black button with a yellow V on the front of the buckle, probably standing for ‘Velvet’, if I had to take a wild guess. Looking at it, the coat is long enough to go past his knees, even sitting down, but it parts toward the side, splitting all the way up to his belt. He’s wearing a pair of long, dark blue boots with a brighter blue stripe down the middle. I can’t see the top half of the boots he’s wearing, or even where they begin because of the previously mentioned coat, but I can just make out two more buttons like on the front of the coat. The front pocket of his coat has a long, silver chain hanging from it... a pocket watch, maybe? One of the coat’s stripes goes over the pocket, and the large button is just above that.

He’s shorter than I am, too, even though we seem to be around the same age. In fact, in comparison to my own height, he’s pretty small and fragile–looking. I guess that explains why Igor asked me to treat him with respect... it makes me wonder how a teenager got a job in this kind of place to begin with. Or how you become a ‘resident’ here at all. But I guess it’s not really my place to ask that sort of thing on our first meeting—it would be kind of rude.  
Taking all of this in during the next minute or so gives me a lot of things to think about. And the more I think about it, the more I realize the two people sitting next to Igor are dressed in the sort of outfits you’d see on someone from an era long past—someone from the west, maybe? Come to think of it, they remind me a lot of the fancy uniforms you’d see at some kind of theme hotel, or at an anime convention... who _are_ these people? Although I don’t directly ask it, Igor seems as though he knows now is the time to wrap things up, so he speaks one last time.

“We shall attend to the details another time. Until then, farewell...”

I feel myself drifting...

* * *

“Yasoinaba... Yasoinaba...”

It’s the train’s announcer that I hear first. It’s about my stop, Yasoinaba station. I... what was that dream? I blink once, trying to shake the image of the strange people out of my mind. I have bigger things than an odd dream to worry about right now. Like what my life in this new place will be like, or if my uncle will actually be there...

I grab my bag of meager belongings, which is almost entirely clothing. I don’t actually have a lot of things because we move around so much. The other day I purchased some new clothes to bring with me and the Yasogami Highschool uniform. I’m wearing it now, actually. Not entirely closed, though—my last uniform was pretty formal and strict code-wise, and Yasogami’s isn’t, so I want to take advantage of that. ... To be honest, I’m nervous about this whole thing, but I guess the best I can do is keep moving. That in mind, trying to ignore the unsettling feeling I have in the pit of my stomach, I step off the train onto the station. There’s hardly anyone here... everything about this place is completely different from where I just left. The air feels cleaner, and the sky is a little clouded right now, but you can see it pretty well. In the city, most of the skyline gets obscured by skyscrapers and buildings, so seeing it properly for the first time in awhile is kind of nice. As I leave the gate, I hear the sounds of birds chirping in the distance. Maybe it’s their way of welcoming me here, too.

Though, I soon hear the sounds of something aside from birds: an older man’s voice. It’s faint, but it feels familiar...

“Hey! Over here!”

I look around, trying to figure out where the voice is coming from. I realize it’s coming from my right, and start walking in that direction. Just past the gate, hidden a little out of view, is an older man with dark gray, messy hair, and a young girl with brown hair in pigtails, tied with little ribbons. She’s wearing pink. We begin speaking, and I tell him I vaguely remember him from when I was younger. The girl turns out to by my younger cousin, Nanako-chan. After awhile, we get in the car and start the drive to my new home.

... On the way, Nanako has to use the bathroom, so we stop at a gas station. The attendant there is a friendly young man who pauses his work to have a chat with me while Dojima is away having a smoke and Nanako is using the restroom. He says that I’m likely going to get bored here, and brings up how surprising it must be that there’s really nothing here. When he says it that way, I realize that this place is considerably empty in comparison, and maybe the entire time I’ve just been somewhat in awe at how... different it was from the cities I’ve known prior. The Moel worker mentions the idea of getting a part-time job here, hanging out with friends, fishing, things like that to occupy myself. Friends... I’m hoping this year will be different. Maybe here I can find people I’ll connect with. Want to connect with. I don’t have to worry about sudden upheaval this year, after all... or my parents suddenly changing their minds. I know for sure I’ll be here for an entire year... the attendant and I shake hands, talk a bit more, then he goes to get back to work. He’s a nice enough guy, a little older than me, maybe. If everyone here is as friendly as he is, I shouldn’t have a hard time adjusting...

Though I feel a little woozy. Nanako comes back asking about me and I have to hold my head for a minute. ... Must have been the long trip. I can’t help but think back to that odd dream I had—though I can only recall parts of it, now... when I get home, I think it’d be best to go straight to bed after dinner.

Well, this place is my new home. I’m going to put my best foot forward and try to get along with everyone here for the year. It doesn’t feel too involved right now, of course, it might even be a bit boring. I’m sure I’ll feel bored eventually and take up the part-time job offer the Moel attendant told me about.

* * *

... Little did I understand how involved I’d truly get with things in Inaba. Nor did I understand just how significant what Igor had told me would be, in the end. My fate truly laid in the cards, and the Wheel of Fortune was playing a dangerous game of Russian Roulette. My arriving in Inaba simply began the loading of the empty chambers... though, in the end, it was my fault for playing the game in the first place. You can only keep playing the game so many times until you finally find a chamber that isn’t empty.


	2. » The Second Chamber « To use that bullet wisely, one must...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A great mystery, imposed upon him. Friends in danger, a strange new world in the TV, and a power called "Persona". The entities known as Shadows, and the plot of a murderer... something is foul in Inaba, and Souji Seta intends to find the truth.
> 
> But if he diverts his eyes, will it escape his grasp? The butterfly has begun to spread its wings, and the world is already warping to its every distant wing beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, not a super long chapter! This one covers most of the beginning dungeon, but it does skip around a bit. I apologize for those somewhat unfamiliar with Persona 4--but I didn't want to rehash the entire game, as a lot of it up until a specific point later on doesn't change. But, for now, enjoy Souji's confusion, and the additions a certain blue-haired young man brings to the table.
> 
> While his role is, in places, small, I think you'll find later all the little changes add up.

* * *

It wasn’t very long after my arrival to Inaba that I soon realized what the Velvet Room had told me was true: there was indeed a great mystery imposed upon me, and no one would be able to solve it but my friends and myself. I ended up involved in a murder investigation, somehow... even crazier, we found out the rumor going around about this Midnight Channel thing was true, but it didn’t show someone’s soulmate. ... It showed the victims of a murder case. The second person, the one we saw on the Midnight Channel, was Saki Konishi-san, Yosuke’s senpai. She turned up dead, hanging from a telephone pole, much like how the previous woman, Mayumi Yamano, was found.

It had been my mistake to not pay attention to Mayumi Yamano-san’s apparent scandal earlier. I learned about it on the news a few days later as I was settling into my new home. The announcer, Mayumi Yamano, was having an affair with a governor’s secretary, Taro Namatame. Namatame-san was married to Misuzu Hiiragi, the famous Enka singer. The scandal blew up as a result in the media, and Maiyumi came to Inaba, probably to get some time away from all of it. We were reasonably sure whatever was going on involved someone related to her. As it would turn out, the Midnight Channel showed those who were going to be killed next, or who would turn up dead not that long after. Someone had seen Maiyumi Yamano on the Midnight Channel, and we all saw Saki-senpai on it. After Saki Konishi was found dead, my new friend Yosuke took it pretty hard. This year was already very different in comparison to the others before it. I had made new friends quickly in Chie Satonaka, Yosuke Hanamura, and Yukiko Amagi. My uncle and my cousin both proved to be very nice people, if rough around the edges. It was different from life in the city, more different than it might be possible to be, but I didn’t mind it, if you discounted the insane things happening all around me.

... To be honest, I’m not really sure how all this happened, it just kind of went on so quickly. Somehow, Chie, Yosuke, and I ended up inside a bizarre television world, where we met a strange mascot bear that was hollow inside. We encountered a terrifying room somehow linked to Mayumi Yamano’s murder case, then managed to escape. But not even a few days later, it was found out Saki Konishi discovered Mayumi’s body, and that she had also gone missing. Worse still, when we were told she had died in a school assembly, Yosuke took it pretty hard and was determined to go BACK into that world, having put the connection of the Midnight Channel showing the murder victims together. He couldn’t just leave it alone, and I didn’t blame him; it bothered me as well, so I agreed to go help him out. Unfortunately, nothing during our second visit went as planned...

We did encounter the odd bear again, whose name turned out to be Teddie (shocking, I know), and eventually we agreed to help him figure out who was throwing people into this odd TV world and stop them. We also encountered, for the first time, the dangerous creatures known as Shadows, and I was forced to fight them, awakening to my special ability... my ‘other’ self: the power of Persona, and unique to me, the Persona named Izanagi. We found a fake version of Inaba’s shopping district, and there, Yosuke was forced to face himself: all his negativity in the form of his suppressed Shadow... after I beat it back and helped him realize that this was only a small part of him, that he was still himself, he obtained the power of Persona as well, in the form of Jiraiya. We were able to figure out it was likely both Saki and Mayumi were thrown into this bizarre TV world and killed by their Shadow selves, like the one who attacked Yosuke. When the fog lifts in the TV world is when Inaba fogs over, and the Shadows in there go berserk. Every time a body had been found, it was on a foggy day. Everything was happening so quickly, I wasn’t sure what to make of it... and although we made it out fine and recovered (though not without worrying Chie sick), I still wasn’t able to sleep soundly that night. Because that same night, I was visited in my dreams by the Velvet Room yet again...  
  


* * *

_‘This is...’_

When I open my eyes, I’m in a familiar blue-colored limousine, three people I recognize from a previous dream sitting across from me. The man with the long nose, Igor, and his two assistants: the beautiful woman in blue, Margaret, and the kind young man in glasses, Michael. They seemed to be quite pleased to see me. Igor, as always, is the first to talk.

“Welcome... do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world... I have summoned you within your dreams.”

I had figured that much out. It seemed I couldn’t even have a peaceful dream to myself, lately. I was hoping they had a good reason for interrupting my dreams; I was fairly exhausted from the day’s ordeal and the fighting I’d only just learned how to do on the fly.

“And so we meet again...” Igor seems far too pleased for us to be meeting again. Really, I’m not complaining about it, but is it too much to ask for me to have a normal day? Or maybe just a peaceful dream about... I don’t know, being a ninja or something? When I glance over to Margaret, she’s giving me a small smile. It’s her who speaks next. It seems I’ve earned a little of her respect with my ability, somehow...

“This is a space that only those who have, in one form or another, entered into a contract may enter.”

I recall them saying something about a contract... did awakening to my Persona count as one, then?

“In your daily life, you subconsciously heard the call to awaken, and you chose to follow the destiny of your inner voice... thereby enacting your glorious awakening to your power.”

Her smile is a rare one, but it’s nevertheless present. I glance to Michael, and he, too, is smiling just a little wider than usual. There’s a quiet kind of anticipation in the room, almost, as though they’d been waiting for this moment all their life. Igor moves his hand, and a glowing key appears in front of him, hovering over the table.

“Hold onto this. You will need it in the future...”

The key floats over to me and gently places itself into my hands... it’s warm and glowing a faint blue color, like the rest of the room. I place the key in my pocket. As I do this, Igor continues speaking.

“From this night forth, you are our guest in this Velvet Room. Your destiny will require you to hone your power, and for that, you will inevitably require our help...”

The way he says this... somehow, it feels a little unsettling to me. He raises a gloved hand, here, making a gesture.

“There is but one price for this assistance... You must abide by your contract and assume responsibility for all decisions you may make.”

That’s not a big problem, I guess. Technically speaking, I’ve never been one to run away from my choices in life, and I doubt there will ever be a time in the future where I’m afraid of the decisions I’ll make. After all, I’ve never been the sort of person who panics and makes bad decisions in a situation, no matter how it might seem. I don’t have a lot of trouble keeping a clear head. This in mind, I simply nod my head to Igor, answering quietly.

“I understand.”

I’ll take responsibility. Michael looks to me, now, and speaks quietly for the first time since I’ve entered this place again.

“This is simply so that you do not regret the choices you will make. You must make them with complete conviction and determination. Wavering in the face of destiny will only lead to hesitation, and hesitance can lead to mistakes.”

... I think I understand what he’s saying. Basically, they ask their guests this so that they’ll be sure of themselves at all times and, regardless of what choices I make, I will make them without hesitating and will take control of the situation. ... That makes sense. I nod to Michael, to show my understanding, and Igor continues.

“The Persona you have acquired...” He begins, and I can see this is truly his element, speaking about this kind of thing. “It is a side of you that shows itself when you face the world around you. Perhaps you can think of it as... a facade of determination you wear to face various difficulties in life.”

Michael speaks after his Master pauses, adding to what he’s just said.

“In other words, it is a mask used to face hardships. The you who is confident around others, the you who is kind to those you call friends... all of those are facades of a different sort. Those, too, are like the ability of Persona. Izanagi is the you who capable of divinity.”

It’s a little hard to get my head around this one, though. Maybe it’s because I’m new to all this Persona stuff. Igor continues.

“Your Persona ability, however, is that of the wild card...” This term... is he talking about like in card games, where the wild card can be any other card you want it to be?

“Compared to that of others, it is _very_ special. It is like the number zero... empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself.”

I’m... still a little confused by all this. Personas? Wild card? Zero? I can’t help but ask about it, confused.

“Special... how, exactly?”

To my surprise, Igor chuckles at my question.

“The Persona ability is the power to control one’s own heart... and the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona’s abilities.”

I’m... still fantastically confused. Social Links? Bonds? Controlling someone’s heart...? I have to ask for clarification in some form, or I’m just going to continue to be confused.

“Control one’s heart...?” What the heck does that mean? As I ask this, Margaret is the one who replies this time, a knowing look on her face. She seems to know something about this I... don’t, yet.

“Social Links are necessary for more than strengthening your Persona. At times, they will help to light the way to the truth you are searching for.”

I... think I get it. She’s saying my Social Links will make my Persona stronger somehow. And that these Links are my bonds with people? I glance over to Michael, to try and get a read on him, hoping he can help elaborate just a little better and less vaguely. I feel fortunate that he seems willing to do so, reading the confusion on my face.

“In other words, Mister Seta, the people whom you meet and befriend will be there for you in your time of need, and even when they are not there, your heart will always feel their strength, added to your own. Your Social Links will help you when you come to us, for our services. ... You will understand this a bit better in the coming days. Do not fret over the details.”

... If he says so. I figure this means I’ll see these Social Link things in action soon enough and I’ll understand it then. I guess that’s just more strangeness to get used to. I’m starting to feel a bit jaded—it feels like, after the last few days, _nothing_ can surprise me anymore. Igor, however, has one final word before we part and I can finally get some decent rest.

“Where will your awakened power of the wild card take you...? I look forward to traveling the road of your destiny together...”

He chuckles. It’s still a little creepy to me, but I figure I’ll get used to these eccentric people eventually. Michael offers me a sympathetic look, as if to say, ‘you get used to it.’

“... Indeed, we are all looking forward to where this road leads, Mister Seta. I am sure you will not disappoint us.”

Igor waves a hand vaguely, here, and I begin to feel the room getting lighter, out of focus...

“Alas, for now, we must part... until we meet again...”

I’m drifting... and then I’m alone, again...  
  


* * *

... At the time, I didn’t realize just how wrong he was about me. I also didn’t understand the true consequences of my actions... thinking back on it, it really was no wonder he was so mad at me later on. I had screwed up, and I had screwed up badly.

But that’s a little ahead of everything. I should probably talk about what happened after then, first. You see, the case we ended up taking on would blow up into something of insane proportions. It really started being kicked into high gear when Yukiko Amagi was reported missing, and the police had the complete opposite idea, rather than knowing what was actually going on. We were left with no other alternative, Chie, Yosuke, and myself, but to go back into the TV world and rescue her. ... Of course, we hit a lot of speed bumps along the way—really, I don’t know what Yosuke was thinking having those weapons out in public, or why I didn’t stop to consider the reason that it was a bad idea in the first place—but in the end, we were geared up and ready to reenter the TV world, this time, with two Personas, proper weapons and armor, and one very determined Chie.

Sadly, things never really seem to go as we plan them. I mean, is it just me, or does planning when it comes to us and this case end up being useless? Literally every time we’ve had a plan set into motion, things have _never_ turned out the way we’d’ve preferred...

 

* * *

_Later..._

After splitting up for the afternoon, I found myself alone in the shopping district. I was walking past Daidara’s metal works, and that was when it appeared: a large, see-through, glowing blue door just... floating there, in plain sight. Everyone else just walked right past it without even giving it a glance. I heard a voice beckon me toward the door, and the Velvet Key in my pocket was glowing brighter, resonating with it. Somehow, I was possessed to take the key out of my pocket, put it into the lock, and twist it, opening the door and going through.

As I expected, on the other side was a now very familiar place: the Velvet Room, the same limousine and same people in there as always. When I sit down, Igor happily greets me. ... At least, I think he was happier than usual? It’s a little hard to tell, given he’s always grinning.

“We’ve been expecting you. The catastrophe that is headed your way... it has already taken human lives in its approach towards you. But you have nothing to fear! You already have the power to fight against it. It seems that the time for you to use your Persona has come...”

He chuckles. (It’s still creepy. Yes, I feel it worth mentioning here that his chuckling will never not be creepy, somehow.) I’m thankful that the one who speaks up next is Margaret.

“Your Persona ability is that of the wild card. If you strengthen your bonds properly, their power will help you overcome any ordeal. Our role is to facilitate that.”

I recall that just earlier, I established my first ‘bond’ she spoke of. It had quite a large amount of fanfare, the cementing of my friendship and working together on this case with Yosuke. I could even feel my own power grow just a little as a result, and as they’d said, I understood it immediately when it occurred. These Social Links... they’re my power of heart and friendship. It’s odd to say that my power relies on being closer to others, and in a way, that feels a little awful to mention. But it isn’t as though my friendships are any less genuine. I care about solving this case just as much as Yosuke does.

Igor speaks next. It seems the time for them to finally explain what their ‘services’ are has come.

“My contribution... is to give birth to new Personas. By mixing together multiple Persona cards, I can transmute them into a new form...” For some reason, I imagine Igor playing 52 card pickup, but I doubt that’s what he really means by that.

“This, in other words, is the fusion of Personas. You have the power to hold multiple Personas, and to use them accordingly.”

Multiple Personas, huh...? Then Izanagi isn’t all I am? ... What, exactly, does this mean about who I am? I’ve always been someone who adapted well to change or speaking with others—mostly out of force of habit, when my life has so much moving around. But this... is different, and it causes me to wonder if Izanagi is only a part of what makes up me. What makes up ‘Souji Seta’, in other words. Igor goes on.

“When you defeat an enemy, the seeds of possibility you attain will appear before you as cards. At times, they may be hard to grasp... but you must master your fear and reach out to them. When you obtain new cards, please do not hesitate to bring them here.”

So that’s how it works. Fight Shadows, find cards, take them here. Seems simple enough. It is Michael who speaks next, however, prompted by Igor with a nod of his head and a glance.

“Mister Seta, it is imperative that you develop your Social Links. In order for these cards and those Personas to gain more power, to grow quickly, you will need the strength of your bonds, those of your friends. They will be one of your chief sources of strength.”

A give Michael a nod. Social Links are power, they’re important... got it.

“... This making bonds with others to strengthen my own heart... I think I understand it now.” I recall the Magician Social Link I’d just formed earlier yet again. So they’ll all likely be that way, huh...?

Michael nods, and he raises a large book in his own hands, not unlike the one Margaret’s holding, though his is a lighter blue color.

“Whenever I feel that you are off the track or may require assistance to further your Links, I will ask something of you. It’s my hope that you will complete these requests and grow, yourself, as a result. Every request available, and every request you have completed, will be listed in this diary. It won’t be necessary for you to complete these tasks, mind you—your life will be extremely busy at many times. However...”

He pauses for a moment, as if searching for the proper words to use, here.

“... I simply ask you at least take the time to peruse this book. As you complete tasks, the blank pages will fill. I will monitor your Social Links closely, as well. If you are ever uncertain about the status or times you may see any of your bonds, do not hesitate to ask me.”

His bit now done, Michael places the book back into his lap as it was before, falling silent. Next, Igor nods to Margaret. She, too, now holds up the book she had in her own lap, and begins explaining it to me.

“The tome you see in my hand is the Persona Compendium. Registering the Personas you hold will allow you to recall them at any time. Please see me when you wish to use it.”

Margaret now sets the book back in her lap, done speaking. All of this is a lot to absorb and take in, but I think I understand their roles in my own journey now. They’re all a bit... strange, but they’re obviously here to help me. I should do all I can to make sure I solve this case. They’re working to help me, after all, and I wouldn’t want their work to go to waste.

Finally, Igor has some parting words of wisdom for me, as he always does. Of course, they’re accompanied by a chuckle of amusement...

“Do you recall my words to you before? _‘The coming year is a turning point in your destiny... If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost.’_ I meant precisely what I said. Defeat in battle is not the only way your journey may come to an end... Please... do not forget this.”

His words send a chill down my spine. Somehow, I feel as though... someone just walked over my own grave. What does he mean by that, I wonder? And what’s with this unsettling feeling I get from his words...?

“When next we meet, you will come here of your own will.” I take this to mean he won’t be invading my dreams anymore. That’s nice to know, I guess. He chuckles.

“I look forward to it. Until then... farewell.”

What Igor said just a moment ago is still on my mind, even now. I try not to dwell on it too much as I exit the Velvet Room, ready to go to Junes. But... I can’t shake this odd cold feeling from my body, somehow. All the hair on my neck is standing on end, too... why do I feel so insecure all of a sudden? There’s no time to dwell on it, though. Yukiko is in that other world, and someone needs to save her. We’re the only ones who can do it. There won’t be any failure allowed in this mission.

I begin the trek over to Junes, my mind on strategies to face down this odd new world and how to protect Chie, rather than what Igor had been saying. This is serious. Lives are on the line. I can’t fail.


	3. » The Third Chamber « Attended to the attendant.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Settling into his new role as the leader of a band of others his age who all wield a strange, and wonderful power called Persona, diving into a television world, and rescuing those kidnapped by a supposed murderer, Souji and Yosuke have since been joined by more allies, the mystery of Inaba deepening. However, another mystery surrounds him inside a fogbound limousine, where he discovers that the denizens of the Velvet Room aren’t really as different as they at first appear, and that the Social Links he holds--that is, the bonds he creates with others--are far more important than he initially realized... especially if he is to succeed in finding the truth before his time is up. To this end, making more friends couldn’t possibly hurt, and so he does exactly that, in the hopes that it will set him on the proper path to the truth.
> 
> But Souji doesn’t realize that rushing to solve the murders and form bonds may potentially hurt him... of course, if he takes it slow and follows the advice of Margaret, Michael, and Igor, the Investigation Team, as they’ve been dubbed, may just solve this mystery yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **This is a bit important for you to know:** I’m not going to be going over the entirety of Persona 4 here in terms of events that happen. A lot of them will be skipped or eluded to, particularly in this chapter, simply because to do otherwise would make this fic far too long. So, it goes without saying this entire story will not only have P4 spoilers, but it will also assume you’ve played the game all the way through. At the same time, I’m also not going to follow P4’s event timeline/dialogue completely letter for letter, purely to make things less of a rehash of the game.
> 
> Not everything is going to have a dated heading, either. Just some of the stuff, for clarity’s sake.

We’ve managed to rescue a lot of people. The Investigation Team, as we’ve come to call ourselves, is now essentially living a double life. By school hours we’re just students, but after school, we’re always fighting in another world using our other selves for protection... our Personas. As the Velvet Room explained it to me, a Persona, this power... it’s the ability to take the ‘persona’ or mask you wear to face hardship and tame it for protection... to face your shadow and make it fight for you. Our ranks had grown quite a bit since Yosuke and I first got our Personas, Izanagi and Jiraiya. When we went to rescue Yukiko, Chie insisted on coming along, raced on ahead, and was met with her own Shadow in Yukiko’s castle. Then Yukiko herself was forced to confront her Shadow, and Chie was on the front lines not long after helping us beat it back with Tomoe, her own Persona. Then there was Kanji Tatsumi, the rough around the edges but generally nice son of the woman who owned Tatsumi textiles. He beat up an entire gang just because they were causing trouble. He has a rough image, but he’s actually a pretty caring individual and enjoys sewing. His own Shadow caused a huge uproar after he was abducted as well and thrown in, but like Yukiko, we managed to save him before it could kill him, and now Yukiko, too, was using her own Persona to help us fight Kanji’s Shadow: Konohana Sakuya. Then there was the rising idol star Rise Kujikawa, also known as Risette. Turns out she came from Inaba originally, and was here on a hiatus from her career... she turned out to be the next victim, abducted and thrown in, and shockingly, when we went to save her, we were unable to defeat her Shadow, but... somehow, Teddie stepped in and defeated it, and Rise gained her own Persona, too: Himiko. 

But the cost was Teddie somehow manifesting his OWN Shadow, and boy, were we surprised when that happened. It was a tough battle, but... in the end, we managed to help Teddie overcome his other self with Rise’s new-found Persona and support, and he finally gained a means to defend himself: Kintoki-Douji. As time went on over the next few weeks, a pattern had begun to emerge with the victims in this case, beyond them showing up on the Midnight Channel. As I sat at Junes with Yosuke, Yukiko, Chie, and Kanji, we were realizing that the biggest thing connecting this case was that everyone had been shown on the media and had become popular before they were abducted. All of them were abducted in some form in surprise by the killer, and thrown into the TV world...

We were in for further shocks when we found Teddie in OUR world, hanging around Junes. As we’re all discussing the case on the hot summer day, Teddie can’t take the heat and pops the head off his costume... and no one is prepared for what meets their eyes: a good-looking young man with blonde hair and blue eyes in the suit.

Teddie was no longer hollow... the surprises of this year just don’t seem to cease. Chie goes off with Teddie to find him some clothing, and the rest of us decide to go and question Kujikawa-san about what she may have seen when she was abducted. We’re also hoping she, too, will join us and help us figure out our next move. Her Persona will be able to detect anything in the TV world, and it’d be a big asset in solving the case. On the way there, everyone gets topsicles, and Chie returns with Teddie, who’s wearing an expensive outfit, but it looks natural on him. Chie and Yosuke get into a fight over... ah, _funds_ , Kanji takes Teddie to go get some topsicles, and the rest of us leave to go talk to Kujikawa-san.

It... turns out she didn’t see anything, nor did she remember seeing it. Unfortunate as it is, that was what it was, and we were hitting a dead end. She agrees to add her power to our own, however, and another member joins the team.

Something odd, though... we keep bumping into that junior detective Naoto Shirogane all over the place. He’s... figuring things out that took us a lot of work and knowing about the TV world. It must be true that he’s some sort of boy genius. Still... I’m not entirely sure what to make of him, just yet. We’ve hit a dead end for now until the murderer makes another move... it’s frustrating. For now, I decide to focus on keeping an eye on the Midnight Channel, and my Links. I’ve been doing fairly well with connecting with my team and even those in my school... to be fair, I never had this kind of motivation to do so before, considering my bonds are also what power my Personas, but at the same time, I’m making genuine friendships with others, even if some of those friendships involve some questionable things... it makes me wonder, though, what I’ll do when I leave Inaba... well, whatever happens, maybe I can get my parents to allow me to stay here during holidays. The first thing I need to focus on is solving these murders, of course...

.

* * *

“Hey, Seta-kun. What brings you here?”

I wasn’t really sure what prompted me to approach Adachi at Junes, when he was there, but... something compelled me to talk to him, so I gave it a go. What could it hurt? If anything, he was close to the case and maybe having the somewhat bumbling, loose-lips detective for a friend would be vaguely helpful in knowing if the police found anything out we didn’t know. After a moment, I sit down next to Adachi. He’s at the food court during break, having lunch, it looks like. Since it’s a Sunday, I have the day off. Everyone else is busy, today, so I didn’t see any reason not to talk to him right now.

“Nothing, really.” Is my reply. “Just bored, I guess.”

Adachi nods at that, looking thoughtful. He sighs.

“Yeah, I understand that. Things here can get really dull sometimes, you know?” He offers a sympathetic smile. “Well, maybe you can find a way to entertain yourself! ... Of course, my entertainment lately has only been work... I haven’t been able to do much else aside from work on these murder cases, it’s been crazy, with that kid at the station...”

I feel bad for Adachi. I know he’s basically dealing with the brunt of my uncle’s short temper with this new special kid called in on the case, and how accident-prone he is doesn’t do him any favors. We talk for a little while, and the minutes tick by. The more we chat, the more I realize Adachi and I are alike in a lot of ways: Adachi was transferred to Inaba without any real notice, kind of like how I was. He SAYS he doesn’t mind it, but we both know it’s easy to get bored here without someone to hang out with all the time. I guess in a lot of ways that’s why I’m fortunate to have made so many friends this year so far—Social Links aside, it’s kept me reasonably busy. As we talk, I get the feeling Adachi doesn’t get many people to talk to, and I start to wonder if maybe, we met up a little more often, if his day would be a little brighter. Well, it couldn’t hurt, right?

I tell him that we should talk again sometime, when he’s less busy, and Adachi agrees. Besides, he’s a friend of the Dojima family anyway, and Nanako likes him, too. I don’t see any reason as to why we shouldn’t be friends. As this happens, I feel the same feeling I’d gotten so many times in the past when I formed a new bond and got closer to someone... but it’s odd. An Arcana I’ve never seen before...

_Thou art I... and I am Thou... Thou hath forged a new bond... It brings thee closer to the truth... Thou will have our blessing when fusing Personas of the **Pierrot** Arcana..._

I feel the same, small surge of energy as always, and Personas stirring... well, I guess that cements it. Adachi and I will be friends. And something about him makes me want to make sure I pursue this Link as best as I possibly can—he doesn’t seem to have very many friends, after all.  
.

* * *

It’s raining, today. All my plans end up cancelled because of it, and even though it’s a day off from school, I find myself with nothing to do... so I wander around town in the rain for a little while. The fox was holed up and I didn’t have any new wishes to fulfill, so I found myself in the shopping district with just an umbrella and an unoccupied mind...

That’s when the door to the Velvet Room draws me. ... Yeah, why not, right? Come to think of it, with how busy everything’s been, I’ve been neglecting to really come here and talk to Michael much. He’s usually pretty quiet unless spoken to or he needs to say something, so I feel a little bad I forgot to pick up some more of his quests, mostly the ones pertaining to vague questions asking for items... it’s one thing to ask for something you get from a Shadow, but it’s another to ask me for something vague that, say, Chie would love to have, or something. His requests tend to be vaguely worded riddles that I have to figure out on my own after a lot of work, and with everything else, I haven’t really been trying that hard to do the things he mentions... I’ve been fulfilling Margaret’s requests now that she thinks I’m worthy of them, but I completely forgot about Michael’s. Maybe that’s why today I use the Velvet Key and go inside. I’m surprised to see only Michael in the limousine this time. No one else, not even Igor or Margaret, seems to be here. I look around, wondering if maybe I should come back some other time to try to make sure my Personas are prepared for the next time we go inside the TV, but given that I haven’t been doing a whole lot for him lately, some of the guilt makes me decide to stay. ... And, anyway, last time I was alone with just one of the assistants here, Margaret had started the Empress Link with me, so it probably was intentional on either his or Igor’s part.

As I sit down in the usual seat, I glance around to see what Michael’s doing. He appears to be reading some sort of novel... the cover feels familiar, somehow... but I can’t tell what it is from here. I’m surprised to notice he has a pair of yellow headphones on his ears and a matching yellow MP3 player hanging from a lanyard around his neck. He must not have heard me come in from the music playing... or, at least, he shouldn’t have. I have to say, considering how old-fashioned he seems, and how old-fashioned the Room in general tends to behave, I’m a little surprised to see modern technology being used by one of my attendants here. They tended to appear pretty limited to books, and nothing else. Well, the fact it’s a pretty recent limo aside, I mean. It’s the atmosphere, and the people inside. For example, I don’t recall seeing any radios, or televisions, but I guess they could be hidden. I haven’t really thought to ask, or look. At first, I consider leaving, but realize that it might be rude, or he may have noticed me already, or maybe they keep a record of me somehow in the same way Igor seems to always be reading my mind, and I admit to feeling some guilt about neglecting Michael’s requests, so I pause, shifting in my seat. I clear my throat as loud as I can, and Michael looks up from his book over to me, looking surprised, then slightly embarrassed as he removes the headphones, letting them hang around his shoulders. He turns the music player off, places a blue bookmark into the book he was reading, shuts it, puts it in his lap, and then sits up a little more properly, offering me the usual smile.

“... Mister Seta, I was not expecting you today. I apologize. My Master and Margaret are out today on errands, and will not be back for some time, so if you require services of—” I hold a hand up, shaking my head, and cut him off. He doesn’t need to go on.

“It’s fine,” I interrupt, “I don’t mind. Besides, we’ve never really had a chance to properly chat, anyway.” Well... by ourselves, is what I mean, but he seems to understand that. Still, Michael tilts his head, and the smile fades into slight bemusement, but he doesn’t seem to mind it, so he nods slowly.

“If that is your desire, then, by all means.” 

... He always was a little too formal with me. I had the odd feeling he was just naturally overly polite with people and that working here tended to add to that problem. Maybe it was part of the training. Margaret was pretty formal, too, but she had her informal moments. Maybe we just hadn’t gotten to speak on our own enough? After a moment, I remember that there’s been something I’d been meaning to ask him for awhile, ever since we first met; it’s just that I’d never gotten the chance to be alone with him until now, and even before that, I had nearly forgotten what it was that felt so odd about him to me. What it was that, once it was just us, nagged at the back of my mind, as if to tell me I was missing something pretty obvious. For a little while, I sit there with my hand to my chin, staring him down. He raises a brow, but says nothing about my staring, evidently expecting me to speak first... courteous as ever. Eventually, once I’m sure about what I’m thinking and how to phrase it in what I HOPE is a tactful manner, I decide to ask him the question that’s been on my mind for all this time, especially since meeting Teddie.

“... You and Margaret... what _are_ you guys, exactly?” Igor I didn’t think could possibly be answered. He didn’t look anything like a Shadow, to me, and his powers seemed to surpass them... in fact, I got the feeling he was some other sort of otherworldly entity. But the ones who worked for Igor were another story. They seemed... well, not less like people, but not as almost ethereal as Igor felt. They felt like the Room, yes, but they also reminded me, just a little bit, of the feeling I got around Teddie. Michael, especially, was nagging at me, and I just... didn’t know _why_. To my surprise, Michael gives me a rare, honest sort of smile. It’s practically a grin. He seems to be amused by my confusion. Great.

“What do you believe I am, Mister Seta?” ... I almost wish he’d make a wisecrack, or something, instead of being so agreeable. Then I wouldn’t be so annoyed. I guess it was too much to hope or a straight answer from someone in the Velvet Room after all. Well, it had been worth a shot. Nothing lost, right? Still, I had my suspicions, and if I was wrong, it wasn’t as though it was a big deal. This was just a chat between two acquaintances, after all. I take a second or two to think over how to word what I want to reply with, hoping specifying will get me a good answer.

“Well...” I begin, “I can’t be a hundred percent positive, but I think... you’re not human. I mean, you might be part human, but I think you’re like Teddie. Am I anywhere near the mark, with that?”

Michael gives me a true grin, here, and I’m completely baffled by it. His next answer only serves to confuse me further.

“Yes, and no. I am not at all like your friend, and yet I am entirely as you have said.” 

What on earth is that supposed to mean he is, exactly? Am I dealing with some sort of ancient immortal master of martial art, here, or a kid my age with a really heavy book? I hadn’t realized it before, but the book he’d placed in his lap is no longer a paperback: it’s now the Persona Compendium. This struck me as weird. Was it supposed to be a hint, or just him showing off?

“... You can’t tell me what you are, can you?” He shakes his head; an obvious no. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be as simple as, ‘ask, and ye shall receive’.

“I apologize. I’m bound by very strict regulations in order to keep certain things... safe, so to speak. Let me put it this way: I’m safe-guarding ‘company secrets’ of a sort.”

... I guess that makes sense. He can’t tell me because doing so would be giving away some of what makes the Velvet Room what it is, or how it does what it does, or something like that. Well, I have some other questions I’d still like to try asking, and even if he can’t answer me, at least I’ll know if they’re entirely off-base or not.

“... Okay, then. Let me try something else: when I’m around you, I get a different feeling than I do with Igor and Margaret. It’s almost as though I’m... well...” ... As though this guy I barely know has been here all my life and somehow saved me. Which sounds completely ridiculous, even in comparison to some of what I’ve seen. This isn’t a manga, or something. I ended up hesitating, and the only thing I can think to end on happens to be more sheepish than I’d intended. “--This probably sounds ridiculous, actually. Never mind.”

But Michael just gives me an oddly knowing glance, as though aware of my thoughts. His almost smug grin of amusement hasn’t yet left his face, and it’s still, somehow, strangely polite. It’s... kind of infuriating. I mean, not enough to make me angry, but it’s a little annoying, not getting straight answers pretty much ever, knowing they hold all the cards.

... What?

Okay, okay. The cards thing is an expression, I know they literally have Tarot Cards or whatever. Moving on.

“There is nothing that is truly ridiculous, only foolhardy. Besides, I am here to serve you.” He says, as though this should all be obvious. I blink a few times, but figure since he told me to... or, sort of did, given his weird way of being passively encouraging, I may as well continue regardless, even if it’s not the most logical thing I’ve ever said.

“It feels like I’m... being protected...? ... No, that’s not it. It’s like you’re safer, or... something else like that. ... Have we met before?”

He shakes his head no. That answered pretty much nothing.

“We have never met,” he says, holding a hand out. “However, you are right in a few regards, and certainly on the right track, but for everyone’s sake... I, unfortunately, cannot tell you _why_. I--”

“--Apologize, I know, I get it,” I interrupt, scratching the back of my head in vague annoyance. All of our sake...? That reply was even more confusing than the last one, and I feel like I now have twice as many questions as I did before. This entire trip has basically told me nothing at all, about anything I was hoping it might. Well, I should have expected as much, with Igor being Igor, and all. He’s a mystery, and I have a feeling he’s one I’m not meant to solve... kind of like his Master. “... You’re really frustrating. You know that, don’t you?”

Michael laughs, but continues to give me an apologetic smile nonetheless.

“It’s just as frustrating for me as it is for you, being bound by these limitations. I wish I could do more to help you, but...”

He trails off there, but I don’t ask him to elaborate; I’m pretty sure that, by now? I get it. It’s kind of obvious that he can’t, for whatever reason. The Velvet Room has rules. Very specific, really weird ones, but rules like any other place of employment. Which means, if he broke them, he’d be in a lot of trouble, and I don’t want to be the one responsible for him being... whatever happens to rule-breakers on Igor’s watch. For a minute, my mind conjures up some sort of demeaning Persona-related sentence, forced to be summoned by someone over and over in a maid outfit, or maybe turning people into playing cards while Igor uses them for a card game with somebody, but I quickly shake the image, even if the idea is kind of amusing... it’s pretty ridiculous. Besides, I still have something I need to know, and now was the time to ask it, before I forget.

“Now that you mention it? That reminds me. I have one more question.”

“Ask.” His reply is blunt. Blunt is good. Blunt means no more enigmas, hopefully. Here goes nothing.

“... Why do you care so much about me, and my friends?” I knew as soon as I’d finished the question that it was a painful one for him to answer. He looked down, closing his eyes. He was still smiling, and it was a very faint kind of reaction, but I got the feeling something about it was... wistful, almost? I’m not sure that’s the right way to put it, but it was reactive nonetheless.

“In short? That’s my job description,” Michael replied, but I could see him glancing elsewhere, briefly, as he did. A simple flicker of the eyes, but it gave him away. Even he isn’t perfect. Then he looked back to me. “I _must_. Would you want a chef at a restaurant who didn’t care for the food they made and had served?” He asked me back, expression neutral once more. Thing is, I wasn't buying. It wasn’t that simple. No way. Maybe it’s just intuition, but... given what he’s told me up until now? There’s just no way I can let that slide. It’s suspicious. 

“Yeah, I don’t believe you, even if you’re right about that. It wouldn’t be right of someone to do that, but that doesn’t really answer my question. You REALLY care, don’t you? So why?”

He seemed to realize he’d been caught, so he conceded somewhat, shutting his eyes and smiling once more. It was a gentle smile, the sort someone wears when talking about someone else they think of fondly. It was... odd. (But really, the whole Room was odd, so I’m not sure why this bugged me so much.)

“I care a great deal about all people, even if I cannot always help them in the way in which you do. Perhaps, in a sense, I am living through your own Links, your bonds... the exploits you make. The wishes you fulfill no matter how insignificant... those are also something I would like to spend my time doing, were I in your place.”

So, in other words...

“... You just really like people? And helping them?” I asked, not incredulous, but surprised. After all, he did seem to be the age of a teenager, and, well, most of us tend to focus on one group, or just ourselves. Maybe it’s reflex. But, when I think about it? He seems like an unnaturally easy-going person, who likes people, as quiet as he tends to be. At least, that’s the sort of impression our meetings up to this point had given me. Michael is thoughtful for a moment, as if mulling this over, but eventually, he does open his eyes to look at me.

“To be blunt? Yes. I suppose you find that strange, given we do not get many guests, here... however, that is the truth. We just... don’t lie, here. It’s one of the rules.” His smile is a bit wider now, back to pleasantries, it seems, and business. He’s certainly odd, but not any stranger than Igor. Honestly, after Igor, and some of the Personas I’ve created, almost NOTHING would faze me at this point. Sure, Michael is... a little difficult to figure out. Someone I can’t entirely put my finger on, so to speak, but at least he’s interesting, and he isn’t going anywhere. Same with Margaret, tough the fusion requests she's been giving me have been difficult to make, our conversations so far, the Empress Link, have been worthwhile... and I can’t help but wonder if, perhaps, Michael has an Arcana, too. 

My only reply is a nod, however; I’m a bit lost in thought, and I feel like I’ve badgered him enough for today.

“I... wish I could do more than this. Truly. But I know you’re capable, as such, I think it’ll be fine if l leave everything up to you, Mister Seta. But I ask that you still abide by the contract, and do all that you can for those you care about... bonds are the most important thing any person can have. Material goods are inconsequential.” With that vague request and a bit of advice I already mostly knew, Michael falls to silence, and I’m left with an awful lot to think about. The atmosphere in the Room is sort of... thick. Not quite heavy, but thick with unanswered questions I know won’t _be_ answered. So I decide that it could use some lifting, or thinning out, and try to change the topic off of him, and me, and destiny, to whatever else I can think of first. It’s not hard to come to a topic, when I recall my eyes locking on those headphones he was wearing earlier. 

“I’ve never seen you listening to music before.”

He seems glad I decided to drop it. I guess I can’t say I blame him. I WAS prying.

“I don’t wear them when we have guests. It would be rude.”

“Do you enjoy music, then?”

When I ask that, I know it was the right topic to pick: his eyes light up in a way I can say I’ve honestly never seen, at least, not to this point. Guess the small talk was worth it.

“Definitely! Music shows the vast and limitless potential and talent humanity has in a way that nothing else, except perhaps the power of the wild card can compete with...”

The way he says that... it really does make me wonder about how old he actually is...

“... My friend loves music, too. The Magician. Maybe I’ll ask him about what’s hot right now for you.” Michael is taken aback, genuinely surprised by my offer. He seems excited at the prospect... yet quite obviously, is trying to hide it beneath the usual calm facade. It’s not fully working, as it’s easy to see he would love this. I guess I’ll have to go and do that for him, now... somehow, there’s _no_ way I can say no to his face, not when he’s so... excited.

“You would do that... for me... when I have no bonds to give you?” 

He’s truly shocked, but in a good way. Like a kid who just got told his birthday is coming ten months in advance. Today. Right now. It’s sort of endearing.

“... I knew I was right about you... Thank you, Seta-kun.”

I’m surprised to hear him refer to me that way, and it makes him seem... like someone I’ve always had as a friend and known, somehow. It’s... odd. I nod to him quietly, giving him a smile back. His is contagious, when he’s this happy. I can’t help myself from grinning.

“Don’t worry about it. It’ll give you something to look forward to, right? You don’t get to leave here very often, from the looks of it.”

“Well, then... I’ll look forward to the next time you visit.”

And I can tell he means it. It’s nice to see him so lively, for once. Looking forward to something. He always seems to be at peace with things, but I’ve never seen him excited. As I exit the Room, I’m left with a lot to think about... mostly that, all the more, I should try to fulfill my bonds as best I can for Michael. What he didn’t or couldn’t say still said a lot, after all, and I think I have work to do. A lot of it, if I’m going to solve this mystery. I’m not sure I regret all that’s happened, given the friends it’s made me, but... I should probably speed things up. We ARE running out of time, right? I have a year. I need to get as strong as I can as fast as possible, to stop whatever, or WHOever, is behind this. It’s all on us. And I don’t intend to fail, if I can help it.

We’ll succeed, somehow. And talking to Michael makes me optimistic about that.


	4. » The Fourth Chamber « Hollow promise, hollow self, hollow chamber.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery of the Inaba murders and kidnappings deepens. The Team encounters a determined detective, a boy of his word, and an overworked idol that they save, who comes to idolize Souji himself. Still, despite balancing school and all of the fighting and mystery in between, so far, Souji has been managing... but everything they thought they knew is shook up when a shocking third murder occurs...
> 
> And it's someone nobody expected. With the famous Rise Kujikawa their best bet at finding a lead, Souji tries his best to navigate the confusion and the ups and downs, but despite the assurance of authorities that the town will be peaceful once more, something is still quite wrong with Inaba... and sitting idly by doesn't sit well with the Team, nor their leader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a dialogue heavy chapter glossing over what were, I felt, a number of necessary scenes to include from the game. Despite this, I feel it IS important to put down Souji's feelings on all of this SOMEplace, so here is that.
> 
> Not much action going on in this one, unfortunately, and I won't be going to ten metric tons of fight scenes in writing. They're not entirely my style. Apologies, but I hope the lead up to the TRUE divergence is enjoyable anyway!

* * *

_A few days earlier, July 9th..._

I had been thinking about it for awhile, what Teddie’s Shadow said back then at the striptease.

_‘Though you reach through the murk and the gloom to grasp something, you have no means to know it is the truth...’_

Rise said that another force had intervened, as well. It was bothering me a lot, even in the days after she joined our team. I didn’t exactly voice the concern, but I wondered what this meant. Was there something else controlling this world? Could it have been the murderer? ... It was hard to say for sure, but I had a feeling we were knee-deep in something we didn’t fully understand. Teddie’s Shadow itself just... behaved strangely. We all suspected something about him was different, I mean, he was odd from day one. But still...

The things he’s said to me. He’s trying to find his special self, too... and that something about me is different...

Now that I think about it, I didn’t awaken like the others. I simply had my Persona appear... is it because I know myself well enough? Or is it because I’m a fairly open person...? ... There’s no use wondering about the kinds of things none of us have an answer to, at this point. For now, I settle for going fishing today, and after that’s done, I make my way home. Nanako is busy with a quiz show, and I need to watch the Midnight Channel... the fog seems to be setting in tonight, too, since the rain hasn’t stopped. I’m going to make sure no one’s on the TV.

As the time ticks toward midnight and I turn my television off, the Midnight Channel shows up, but blank. No one’s on it this time. I’m thankful for it. The fog outside tells me I’m glad we rescued Rise as soon as we could the other week. I get ready for bed, trying not to dwell on all the unanswered questions we have...

.

* * *

_Morning, July 10th..._

As I’m getting prepared to go out on Sunday, I hear the sound of sirens outside. My cell goes off, and Chie’s the one calling me. I pick up, and what I hear is the last thing I expected.

“Souji-kun! Did you hear? The police found a dead body!”

I’m shocked to silence for a moment. I was sure we’d rescued Rise and... Teddie was fine, so who—?

“What? But we rescued Rise-san, didn’t we?”

“I know, I know! Look, we’re all meeting at Junes as soon as we can, so get over here when you can!”

Chie hangs up, a hint of panic in her voice. I decide to get to Junes as soon as I can...

When I make it over there, I find Chie, Kanji, and Yukiko already there. Chie waves at me, and I walk toward the table.

“Hey, over here!”

I sit down.

“What’s going on?” I ask. “Where’s Yosuke?”

“Yosuke went to check out the scene, I think he’ll be back soon.” Chie replies. Everyone seems on-edge, and I can’t blame them... As soon as she finishes saying that, Yosuke rushes into the foodcourt, panting.

“Yeah, it—” He pauses mid-sentence to catch his breath. “—It was murder, all right. The body was hanging upside down on an apartment’s rooftop railing...”

Everyone is looking grim, and Yukiko looks particularly upset about this. When she speaks up, I can hear the concern in her voice.

“But... how did this happen...?”

Yosuke interrupts her.

“That’s not all. The victim this time... it was _King Moron_.”

We all stare, standing up, in shock. Yeah, Morooka was a real pain in the ass teacher, but none of us would’ve suspected he deserved to _die_ , let alone had a connection to Mayumi and Saki’s cases, or Yukiko, Kanji, and Rise...

We’re all balking about it. Even I feel a little... disturbed. Why would this...?

“You mean HIM? Souji-senpai’s homeroom teacher?” Kanji asks.

Chie, Yosuke and I nod. To be fair, I have to admit, he really did drive everyone crazy, but... did that _really_ give the culprit reason to murder him?

“But... wh-why?” Chie, of course, asks what we’re ALL wondering at this point. “What on earth’s going on here?!”

Yosuke shakes his head; he has no idea what’s going on anymore than we do.

“How am I supposed to know?! I talked to a guy there who saw it! It’s true... there’s no mistake.”

“Gotta be shitting me... Ain’t the killer targeting people who get shown on TV? I ain’t ever seen King Moron on the Midnight Channel, or any other programs!” Kanji replies, giving him an incredulous look.

I have to admit, he has a point, and it’s what I’m wondering. I don’t recall King Moron ever being on TV.

“Why... why did this happen?” Yosuke stares at his feet.

We’re all kind of upset about it. I have to admit, none of it makes sense.

“I thought we finally figured some things out... Were they all just a big coincidence...?” Chie says, looking equally upset. Yukiko joins in, staring downward as well.

“Maybe the Midnight Channel doesn’t have anything to do with this...”

“Dammit! We came so far, and now we’re back to square one?!” Yosuke yells in frustration. After a moment, he deflates, sighing and sitting down noisily in his chair. “Maybe we were in over our heads...? I mean, trying to catch a culprit even the police can’t find is just stupid... jeez, the hell were we thinking?”

I shake my head at everyone. I’m the only one keeping calm here. It’s too early for us to give up, and with all that’s happened, I refuse to just give in or leave it to the police. We have to do everything in our power to put a stop to this—we promised Teddie, and anyway, we’re the only ones who know about the other world and all the connections. There’s no way Dojima or the others would believe us.

“No... it’s too early for us to just give in like this.”

Everyone turns to look at me, and as always, I take the leader role in the team. Because giving up isn’t something I’m about to do... ever.

“If we just throw in the towel, the killer will go free. We’ll have to figure out why they targeted Morooka in the first place, there’s got to be a reason for this. It can’t mean we were wrong. Maybe the killer changed patterns, or he found something out... whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.”

Everyone is nodding with conviction, and Kanji puts an arm up in agreement.

“Damn straight, senpai!” Everyone turns to look at Kanji, now. “We started this thing ’cause the police can’t tell their asses from their elbows. We give up now, and that shithead’s gonna be on the loose forever. This ain’t the time for bitching and moaning... We just gotta keep on keeping on.”

... Well, it’s a little fouler than I’d put it myself, but that’s basically what I meant, yes.

Yukiko seems taken aback by all of this.

“Kanji-kun...”

Yosuke, however, never seems to miss an opportunity to cheer people up. Or pick on our underclassman.

“Hmph... Big talk from someone like you, Kanji.”

Kanji, however, is completely confused by Yosuke’s remark.

“W-what’s that supposed to mean?!”

Yosuke sighs.

“... I know, I know. We’re dealing with a murderer here, and we’ve all risked our lives to get this far... No way we’ll back down. And we promised the bear, too...”

When Yosuke brings Teddie up, Chie’s expression lights up with surprise.

“Hey, that’s right! Maybe Teddie knows something about this!”

I was thinking the same thing, myself. If someone else was thrown into the other world while we weren’t there... Teddie would’ve sensed it, right? He’d at least know if he saw anything, and it’s not like acting dazed and confused here will do us any good. Yosuke speaks up.

“Well, since moping around won’t do us any good, let’s go see him!”

I nod, agreeing.

“He probably would have seen or sensed if anyone was thrown into the other world. Let’s go.”

And so we all head over to the electronics area... but staff are there, discussing something. Yosuke heads over to talk to them, and from the sound of things, there’s... some sort of new mascot wandering the area...? ... It was after that we basically found out Teddie had somehow grown himself a human form. Oh, and he joined the team as a front-line fighter. Which was horribly confusing, but hey, we went with it. With Teddie’s help, we all determined King Moron didn’t appear in the other world, or on the Midnight Channel... so what did this even mean? It was getting hard to figure out, but as we all puzzled it over, my personal theory?

“They never intended to.”

Yosuke looks confused when I bring it up.

“They never intended to...? So you’re saying he wasn’t like the other victims to begin with? But why?”

“Well, maybe... the culprit thought he couldn’t kill any more people by throwing them into TVs...? I mean, we preveted his last three attempts in a row.” Yukiko suggests. We all take a second to mull her suggestion over.

She does have a point; that could definitely be it, and it was actually close to my logic. There has to be something different about King Moron than the others... Kanji is seriously bothered by this, though.

“So, what, they snuffed someone out on our side this time to make sure it worked? Dammit... If that’s true, then we have no way of preventing more murders unless we catch the killer!”

Everyone was feeling disheartened at that...

“We need more clues...” Chie says, with a small sigh. “I wonder if Rise-chan’s up and around yet?”

“Yeah,” Yosuke agreed. “We’ll have to put our hopes on her.”

Not too long after this, we decided to go question Rise, and, of course, found out about Teddie’s new... ah, form... Yosuke and Chie had a dispute as a result, and only Yukiko and I went on ahead...  
.

* * *

But we weren’t expecting the small boy we ran into. He was young, around our age, wearing a tie and a blue hat. Blue hair, blue eyes... he was coming out of the tofu shop just as we were going in.

“Ah... I had a feeling you’d come.”

Yukiko looked up to him with some shock.

“You’re...!”

The boy we saw talking to Kanji before he was abducted. The hat-wearing boy walks down the steps toward Yukiko and I.

“Are you here to ingratiate yourself with Rise Kujikawa now?”

... Not exactly, but I get the feeling saying otherwise would be a bad idea. Just then, Yosuke and Chie walk in behind us, the former mumbling about clerks and being charged. Eventually, he notices the hat-wearing boy, startled.

“... Aren’t you the guy we saw with Kanji...?”

The boy nods.

“Precisely. I don’t believe we’ve met since then. In fact, I don’t believe I’ve ever introduced myself. My name is Naoto Shirogane. I’m investigating the multiple murders that have occurred here.”

... Oh... I realize, as he introduces himself, that _he’s_ the boy my uncle came home drunk complaining about the other night. The one they hired to help kickstart this case.

“Mind if I ask you a few questions on the subject?”

I... seriously doubt we can help him the way he wants. After all, who would believe half of what was going on surrounding this case? That people are being thrown into televisions, into another world entirely, and that the first two victims were killed by their suppressed Shadow selves? ... Yeah, I feel bad about it, but really, what choice do we have but to lie?

“The latest victim, Kinshiro Morooka... He was a teacher at the school you all attend, correct?”

Chie acts a little startled by the question. I think she might think Shirogane-san suspects us, but I doubt that’s entirely the case.

“S-so what?” She says, nervous.

“The public is focused on the fact that he is associated with the second victim’s school... But in truth, that’s irrelevant. What intrigues me is the inconsistency. This Morooka... has never appeared on television.”

We’re all shocked—this boy somehow figured out what took us several kidnappings and the two murders, and knowledge of the other world. He must really be a child genius. As we’re all digesting his knowledge of this case, he looks up to us with yet another question.

“What do you make of that?”

Yosuke answers a little shakily.

“... How are we supposed to know?”

Shirogane-san shakes his head, as if he knew better than to expect much from us.

“Well, we’ll leave it at that, then.”

He begans walking off, but he stops after a moment.

“... For my part? I would like to solve this case as quickly as possible. I’ll be keeping an eye on you all. Well then, until we meet again.”

With a small smile, he walks off. ... And we’re left to wonder...

“Who IS that guy...?” As Yosuke so eloquently puts it.

“It felt like he completely saw through us...” Chie says, looking over at me. “He even knew about the TV thing.”

As this goes on, Rise walks here in the other direction, slighly surprised to see us.

“Oh... hi.” She says, a little quietly. Seems she’s definitely... different, from the idol persona of Risette. Yukiko smiles, glad to see her up and about. Really, we all are.

“Rise-chan! How are you? Are you okay now?”

Rise nods to us silently.

“Good to hear.” Yosuke says, with a wink.

“Are you all here to check up on me?” She asks us.

“Well... yeah, we are.” Yosuke replies.

“Oh, um... Do you guys have a moment?” She asks us, still a bit shy, it seems. “There’s something I wanna tell you. Follow me. My grandma’s taking care of the shop today.”

I can’t help but be a little amused at Yosuke’s excitement to be around her. I can’t say I blame him, but he needs to also realize she’s as much a person as any of us, even if she _is_ an idol. We all decide to follow Rise to the Tatsuhime Shrine, talking to her about what she recalls the day of the kidnapping.

“Yeah... I remember being at my house.” She shakes her head, here. “When I came to, though... I was already in the other world.”

Chie sighs dramatically, slumping downward.

“So... Still no real information on the killer...”

I shake my head.

“Yes, but we can’t give up. We’ll figure it out.”

Besides, there were other things to discuss... Like...

“We met this weird kid named Naoto a second ago...” Yosuke says, pretty much bringing up what’s on my own mind. Rise looks up, frowning.

“Oh... He’s come to the shop several times. He asked me a lot about the incident. I didn’t tell him anything about the other world, though. I figured it’d be a waste of time. Actually, he asked me about you guys, too, but I just made up some stuff. Like... they found me unconscious on the roof of Junes.”

... That makes me feel a little better. I was honestly worried she may have told him something.

“Well,” Yosuke says, crossing his arms. “I guess that’s close enough to the truth.”

Rise looks at us all, still quiet... things feel a little awkward.

“Hm...? What’s up?” No longer slumping on the steps, Chie gets up to look at Rise.

“Um... I-I really appreciate what you did for me...”

The air feels awkward, and there’s a long silence... before, suddenly—

“Thank you soooo much! I love you guys!”

Rise is yelling and cheery, and her heartfelt thank you is... the sweetest thing I’ve heard in a long time, to say the least.

“Huh? Aww... you don’t have to thank us!” Is it me, or was Chie blushing just a little here? It’s kind of cute.

Yosuke looks like he’s focused on how adorable Rise is, and I can’t say I blame him. He’s mumbling a little to himself about how cute she is, and he’s lucky I’m the only one who catches it.

“Man, it’s finally hitting me that you’re the real deal. You really are... Risette...” Is Yosuke star-struck, or is it just me?

“Well, I know I sounded gloomy and all from stress, so... I-I thought you might not like me that way... Do I... sound weird?”

She pauses, frowning.

“... Oh, but I guess it sounds more ‘natural’ this way to the public... I’m sorry, I’ve practically lost touch with what the normal me is like.”

I shake my head at her.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Chie pipes up in agreement. “No need to apologize! Just do what comes naturally.”

Yukiko nods in agreement, her voice gentle.

“I think everyone has multiple sides to them. You don’t have to force yourself to decide on just one.”

Chie laughs.

“It sounds so convincing when Yukiko says it.” Of course, as usual, Yukiko is shocked.

“Huh...? R-really?”

Rise falls to silence for a moment, seeming to contemplate all this.

“Thanks.” She chuckles, smiling truly for the first time in awhile since we’ve met her. “I’m glad you’re the first people I got to know here.”

The smile is infectious, and I find myself grinning, too. Soon, all of us smiling.

“... We’re glad, too.”

“Oh, yeah, we almost forgot your present!” When Chie says this, I realize I’m still holding on to them... the glasses Teddie made for her.

I mull over what to say when giving them to her... while I’m doing that, Rise glances over to me.

“Senpai... would you be struggling without my help?”

Everyone is surprised by her noticing this.

“I can help you in that world, right? With my power... So wouldn’t it be better if I joined the team?”

Of course, she’s right. I hand Rise the glasses.

“These are kinda like proof that you’re one of us,” Yosuke says. “Think of it as the official Investigation Badge, or something.”

I take a moment to explain how the glasses work to her.

“When we put these on in the other world, we’re able to see through the fog there, and we don’t get sick from it as a result. That’s why you saw all of us wearing them the other day.”

“I see... I do remember you all wearing glasses over there.” She pauses, here, but then her cheeriness when she nexts speaks is an overwhelming change.

“Thanks, Senpai. Now I’m part of the team, too!”

With Rise on the team, things’ll be a lot easier. I don’t doubt we’ll find a way to catch this killer at all. She’ll definitely be a strong asset in solving this case.

“I’ll be going to Yasogami High starting tomorrow. But I don’t have any friends yet, so don’t ignore me, alright?”

She’s blushing, now. I can’t help but think she looks kind of cute, too. I feel a little more confident, somehow.

“I do owe you my life, so... you know...”

With a grin, I reply.

“Leave it to me. You’re our friend, after all. We take care of each other.”

I can silently feel a Link strengthening in the back of my mind as this goes on, Ose, my Persona, murmuring quietly... our group is closer. We’ll definitely solve this case.

“W-wow... I didn’t realize you were so cool, Senpai.” 

“This sure is a rough time to transfer here, though...” I know how Yosuke feels. “The kidnappings, King Moron’s death... all that, and exams are soon, too...”

He sighs.

“... Now I’m depressing _myself_... I wonder if there’s any chance they’ll be cancelled?”

Chie sighs in return.

“I doubt it. They ALWAYS hold exams, rain or shine...”

Rise just laughs, however, and as I’ve been preparing by studying when I can, I’m reasonably sure I’ll be fine, so maybe I should help them all out when I can.

“I almost got killed by those monsters. Compared to that, exams’ll be a breeze!”

“Alrighty then, let’s discuss the case some more tomorrow at our special headquarters.”

I give a small shake of my head.

“Yosuke calls it that, but he really means the Junes foodcourt. The only special thing about it is that we all meet there.”

“... Well, it’s KINDA special!”

As we’re discussing all this, Kanji and Teddie walk into the shrine with us, talking about topsicles... as Kanji and Yosuke talk, Rise gets closer to me, somehow... I have a feeling she’s gotten kind of sweet on me. ... How did that even happen, anyway...? We all have to figure out what to do with Teddie, too, and thankfully, Yosuke volunteers to take him home... I’m not sure we’d be able to hole him up in my place, anyway, with my uncle there. It all makes me wonder if, between us all, we’ll finally solve this case... I later return home, and have to deal with cheering up Nanako due to King Moron’s death being all over the news.

.

* * *

The next day, when we were discussing things after school, we would once again find ourselves approached by the junior detective assigned to this case by the prefectural police: Naoto Shirogane. Having overheard our discussing King Moron’s death, he informed us all that the police had brought in a suspect from another school, and had evidence linking him to things...

... Could he really be the killer?

But somehow, Shirogane-san’s insistence that soon the case would be solved and our town would be back to it’s peaceful, rustic self... didn’t sit right with me from the get-go. And Shirogane-san’s way of telling us the way we were going about this was a ‘game’ actually pissed me off. Way too many people had been hurt in this or personally involved.

“It’s not a game to us.”

“You don’t deny that you’ve involved yourselves in the matter? Well, no matter. I have no reason to say anything further.”

Rise looked like she was ready to fight, though.

“A game...? Aren’t _you_ the one who thinks of this as a game?”

The boy looks shocked by her accusation.

“I don’t care if you’re a special investigator or amaetur sleuth... all you’re doing is solving mysteries. What could you possibly know about us? You’re the one who’s playing a game here.”

... At the time... I agreed with Rise, but later on... I would feel bad for those words she said.

“One of those victims... she meant a lot to me. How could I possibly treat this like a game?” Yosuke added, looking upset. “Plus... we made a promise.”

Teddie looked shocked, tearing up just a little.

“Y-Yosuke...”

Shirogane-san glances down, taken aback by our words.

“That may be quite true...”

“Wh-why so understanding all of a sudden?” Chie asked, confused. Yosuke, on the other hand, seemed to have gotten something.

“Oh, I get it. I was wondering why you’d be wandering around like this when the police have a suspect... What, did they get rid of you now that they have their man? Is that why you came here? You were lonely?”

His voice was mocking; teasing. Shirogane-san didn’t seem overly bothered by his words, though.

“Detectives normally aren’t involved in arrests. And we never harbor any special emotions regarding a case, either. Still...”

... He suddenly looked troubled, and I got the feeling, that somehow, this was personal for him as well.

“It is rather unfortunate that people are only attentive so long as our services are required... But then, I’m accustomed to it.”

... For some reason, I pitied him. Part of me... felt like he must not have had many friends his own age. Part of me wanted to help him, somehow, but I wasn’t sure what to say, so I remained silent.

“Much about this case was perplexing, but its solution was surprisingly simple... Well, then. I’ll be going now.”

And just like that, the junior detective walked off.

“What was that about? He just... said his piece and left...” Chie said, frowning. “He said they have a suspect, but is this really gonna solve everything?”

She had a point. I had a feeling it wasn’t that simple, myself. Yosuke sighed.

“Who knows...”

At any rate, we all decided to call it a day at this. We weren’t sure we could take much more. Going home, I was left with one thought...

_‘Shirogane-san... he must be lonely, being abandoned like that when a case is solved...’_


	5. » The Fifth Chamber « When the game goes from the silliest to the most serious yet...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As August rears its head, things in Inaba begin to truly heat up... and, in between possibly drunken games and making a new, very serious friend in the junior detective, Naoto Shirogane, the team begins to realize that, more than ever, this "game" is as serious, and as dangerous, as you can get... because even the great detective prince isn't safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter glosses over, and covers a few important events from August 12th all the way into September 13th's end, glossing over the minor details in favor of arriving to the important points next time.
> 
> Yes, yes, I know I'm glossing over things, but honestly, this entire thing? Is intended for people who have at least seen a playthrough of the original Persona 4. I'm not here to rehash a game; I'm here to tell a story about "what could have been", after all. And hopefully, do it in a way that, at least, won't make you want to pass out from boredom.
> 
> KIIIIINNNNNGGGGG'S GAAAAAAAAAAAAME!!! CHOP CHOP!! Despite the silliness in parts of this chapter, though, the ending is a bit more serious. Consider this a break chapter for the whammy coming up...!

* * *

_August 12th, After School..._

“Well... at least Adachi-san seemed happy.”

When we rescued Mitsuo Kubo, seemingly believing he was the murderer... we thought everything was over. But the entire case sat poorly in my stomach. Morooka’s death, Kubo’s odd behavior... I don’t know how to put it. Maybe it was intuition, but I really doubted his being handed over to the police was the last we’d see of this case...

The conversation at the foodcourt turned once again from the case to me.

“... Speaking of which, nothing really happened in your case. You never had a Shadow, did you?”

Rise was taken aback, of course.

“So... does this mean there’s something special about Senpai after all?”

“Sensei is da man!” Teddie chimed in happily.

Kanji, on the other hand, looked kind of down.

“Now that the case is solved, we won’t be calling you ‘Leader’ anymore, will we?”

“Oh, yeah... it’s kinda sad.” Chie added, looking down. Everyone joined in, wondering if this would be the end of our odd camaraderie. Rise, on the other hand, had an idea.

“Hey... why don’t we celebrate instead?” She said, grinning. “We always have a wrap party after we get done shooting something. It’s fun, and it’ll give us some closure.”

“Oooh, a party! That sounds great. Let’s go all out!” Chie had cheered up awfully fast at the mention of a party...

After some discussion, we realized Yukiko’s place was a no go, and Yosuke ended up asking me...

“What about your place? ... Wait, will your uncle get suspicious, like, “Why are you all celebrating?” or something?”

I pause to consider it.

“... That depends on if you’d mind Nanako being there.”

Yosuke shook his head, grinning.

“Nah, we wouldn’t leave her out. The more, the merrier!”

... Somehow, it came over to the idea of a cooking battle... and the winner would be ‘Iron Cook Inaba’... it goes without saying I’d probably win out of everyone here, but somehow, I’m just concerned over the edibility of the others’ food...

* * *

_August 13th, Evening..._

That evening, we all celebrated the case’s end... Adachi was with us as well, and we all had sushi and everything. ... Unfortunately, he has a time not running his mouth...

Still, the way he put it... made me realize, something was still bothering me. And I couldn’t put my finger on what it was until he brought it up: how Mitsuo did it all just for attention. How flimsy their case was... was he truly the killer? All I could do during summer break until the new term in September was wait and hope. This year so far, I’ve met some truly wonderful people, and I’ve made a lot of friends. In the Investigation Team, in Nanako and my uncle, in Adachi-san and at school...

I’m glad I got to come to Inaba. I never would have imagined my life could be this busy in such a small town...

I found my mind wandering back to the detective boy, though. I wonder... what will he do now that his case is over?

* * *

_September 1st..._

It turns out I didn’t have very long to find out. When we went to school that morning, who else would greet us but Naoto Shirogane, in our school? Apparently, set to be our underclassmen...

... Later that day, the four of us after school stopped to discuss things.

“Hey...”

Everyone turned to look at me.

“Since we’re stopping by Junes, should we invite Naoto-san to join us?”

Everyone but Yukiko turned to look at me.

“What?” Yosuke said, staring. Yukiko, on the other hand, nodded firmly.

“... I agree with Souji-kun. He doesn’t know anyone here yet, and I was thinking about asking myself, so...”

“Didn’t he say he came here to help out with the murder case? With the case closed, he’s just an ordinary guy now...” Yosuke said, thinking. “... And if you think about it, that makes him a transfer student... just like us.”

I nodded in agreement. As I did so, Rise walked in on our conversation.

“Hello, Senpai!”

“Maybe he transferred here out of plain stubbornness.” Yosuke finished, turning to look at Rise. “’Cause he doesn’t seem like he’s only in it for fun.”

Rise, looking clueless, frowned.

“... All right, well, let’s see if he wants to hang out with us.”

I nod.

“Thanks, guys. I’m sure it’ll mean a lot to him, too.”

“A celebrity coming to school is already a surprise, but a _detective_ is even rarer...” Chie said, smiling. “I’m a little curious to see what his family’s like, too.”

“There’s that, and the fact that he’s a detective at his age,” Yukiko added. “Who’d believe someone could be one and only be a first year?”

When we walked around the corner to go look for him, it looked like he was already being cornered by two female students.

“Well, speak of the devil. There’s the little guy.” Yosuke said, stopping.

The girls appeared to be trying to hit on him...

“C’mon, we’ll show you the area... there’s probably tons of places that only we’d know about~!”

Naoto shook his head.

“That won’t be necessary.” The girls looked confused. “I’m not interested in hanging out, and neither am I interested in you two.”

“... Huh? Hey, what’d you say?”

“What’s with that attitude? We’re just trying to be friendly!”

I could see Yosuke’s face in his hand as all this went on... and I honestly couldn’t let it continue myself. I walked over between him and the two girls.

“Hey, Naoto-kun. I was looking everywhere for you... oh, who are these two?”

I put as much authority into my voice as I could muster. The girls backed away from him.

“We were just... trying to be friends, senpai, that’s all.”

“Y-yeah, we didn’t know he was busy today! We’ll see you later, haha... ha...”

As I’d hoped, this scared the two of them off, and Naoto, unruffled, simply turned his attention to us.

“So we meet again. Can I help you?”

I paused, considering my words. The others looked like they wanted to say it, but I gave them a glance that said _‘Hey, let me handle this.’_

“Are you doing anything after school? We’re heading over to Junes, and we wanted to know if you’d like to come with us, is all.”

Naoto seemed completely baffled by my request.

“Come with—wait, you mean... me?”

He glanced down after this, thoughtful. I could tell he wasn’t expecting our offer.

“... Perhaps... another time. I have some things I need to... mull over.”

Rise frowned, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Things to mull over? Like what?”

Naoto frowned just slightly. I could tell he was serious. ... It was kind of a shame. I was hoping he could maybe come with us.

“I must go straight home today. I promised my Grampa so.”

Kanji looked confused at the mention of his grandfather.

“... ‘Grampa’...?”

“Oh, well... that’s that, then. Let’s hang out some other time, okay?” Chie said, trying to remain cheery.

“You’re welcome to come with us anytime you like, Naoto-kun,” I added, giving him a small smile. Was it just me, or did he seem... mildly flustered? Hm. Naoto gave a nod, and we all left for Junes, leaving him there.

* * *

_Later, at Junes..._

“... Man, he sure blew his debut at Yasogami. D’you think he’ll be okay at school?” Yosuke said, taking a sip of his soda.

I frowned.

“I’m not sure.”

“He is... different, but he has this... mysterious air around him that draws your attention.” Yukiko said, thoughtful.

“Whoa, Yukiko! I never knew...” Yosuke said slyly, giving her a grin. “You like younger guys?”

Yukiko looked taken aback.

“N-no, that’s NOT what I meant...”

Kanji had been silent this entire time, thoughtful. I almost wanted to ask him the same question, but I felt it would be rude. ... To be honest, I knew what Yukiko meant entirely, though... I’d found myself wondering about the young detective quite a bit. (It didn’t hurt there was still a gap in my Links... Fortune was missing...)

“He said he has things to mull over,” Chie said, putting her own soda down. “But I’d bet you ANYTHING he’s gotta be talking about the murder case.”

Yosuke nodded.

“He’s some ace detective, right? I bet he’s not satisfied, even though the case is closed.”

Chie frowned, looking unsure at Yosuke’s remark. I have to say: I agree with Chie.

“Well, yeah, that’s true, but... um...”

Everyone looks really quiet and down for some reason...

“... This place isn’t our ‘special headquarters’ anymore...” Chie said, moping. I knew what she meant. It felt like the life had been taken out of things, somehow. It just felt so... unfinished.

“... Let’s talk about something else.”

Yosuke took that chance to bring up his ‘something else’.

“Hey, isn’t the class trip next week? That’s coming up pretty soon. Um... where are we going, anyway?”

My answer was instantaneous. It just happened to coincide with Yukiko’s, as well.

“Tatsumi Port Island.” We both replied, and for a moment, we stared at each other, before cracking a smile.

“I heard it’s an artificial island that faces the ocean. It’s a pretty big city.” Yukiko finished.

“Yeah, that’s right,” I said, “I used to live there for a year or so, when I was younger.”

Everyone glanced at me with surprise.

“You used to live there, Souji-kun...? What was it like?” Chie’s eyes were lighting up...

“... To be honest, I hardly remember. I know that the view was spectacular, though.”

Rise seemed to have had an epiphany while we were talking.

“Oh, did you mention Port Island? I did a ton of shoots there... it’s just beyond the Moonlight Bridge, yeah? Should be lots of places to hang out there.”

“Uh... actually... we may not have any time to goof off during this trip.” Chie replied, with a small sigh.

“I heard the school board is changing the trip’s schedule this year. The idea is, we’re gonna visit a private school there. Like, to have local and urban students interact, or something. It’ll be all about studying and serious business... yuck.”

... I had to admit, that sounded extremely boring.

“Ugh... they’re totally missing the point of a class trip.” Rise said, also frowning.

“So... what kinda place is this private school, anyway?” Yosuke asked.

“Well, I heard it’s REALLY good. They have nice buildings, and everything.” Chie replied.

... Implying Yasogami doesn’t, though I suppose I have to admit some of our things are... kind of old. The talking continued, and we learned the trip was King Moro—I mean, Morooka-sensei’s idea. As Yosuke said... he’s torturing us from beyond the grave, somehow... Still, I think it’ll be interesting, at least. Give us something to look forward to, without the case anymore... right?  


* * *

_September 9th, Night..._

The King’s game got... a little insane. I have no idea how everyone got drunk off of non-alcoholic drinks, or how Rise ended up in my lap, but... when Yukiko ordered Naoto-kun to talk about something, and he deemed to talk about his life... I became further interested in him.

“The Shirogane family has been detectives for generations now. We lend our powers to the police from time to time.”

Chie’s eyes widened.

“For generations? Wow, it’s like that guy from a movie I watched before. What was his name... Kuzu... noha?”

“Indeed, in days gone by, when there were no crime scene investigators, consulting detectives were considered far more valuable.”

I couldn’t help asking him something.

“... So you’re the heir to a dying artform, Naoto-kun?”

“... You could call it that, Senpai. Nevertheless, this is why my grandfather still has a strong connection to the police and looks after me, despite my youth and inexperience...”

... So his parents must be gone or dead. It must be lonely...

“But investigators nowadays are well versed in science and medicine, so I must further my studies.”

Yosuke frowns.

“That sounds tough... uh. ... That’s it? No punch line?”

Naoto lets out a sigh when he says this.

“I fear... you may be looking to the wrong person for that.”

“That’s soooo embarrassing! Isn’t Naoto-kun embarrassing...?” Yukiko’s outburst makes her sound more drunk by the minute... her words are long and drawn-out...

We’re all staring.

“I wanna go home...” Yosuke sighs.

“Phew... I’m sleepy.”

And just like that, Rise fell asleep. As she did so, Naoto looked up towards all of us.

“A straight answer, please. What is your involvement with the murder case?”

Yosuke just awkwardly chuckles.

“Y’know, you’re so good at killing the mood that it’s almost funny...”

Before we can stop her, Yukiko starts drunkenly blurting things out...

“Weeeeell, we go rescuing people by jumping into the TV! And theeen...”

She holds her hands up and claps them, and I find myself silently hoping to GOD Naoto just believes she’s drunkenly babbling.

“And theeen... we do stuff like, ‘Purse Owner’!! And with our Personas... we beat the crap outta... outta Shaaadooows.”

“You idiot!” Yosuke yells.

Naoto, thankfully, seems to be dismayed, and sighs.

“... Are you making fun of me?”

Rise, suddenly awake, stands up yelling.

“Ish... ish true!!” She raises her arms in the air drunkenly. “Purse... Ownnnaaahhhh!!”

And then, just like that, she sits down and falls asleep again. Naoto looks rather upset with us, and I silently feel bad for also feeling relieved he bought this as them being drunk.

“... I see now that you had no intention of telling me the truth. ... But I’m curious... How did you become so inebriated? This isn’t alcohol.”

Yukiko giggles drunkenly.

“Gooood one, Naotooo!”

Naoto shakes his head.

“No, I confirmed it when I first entered. No alcohol has been served here since a rash of drunk driving last year.”

Chie stares ahead, confused.

“Huh?! Does that mean... we’re all just drunk off the atmosphere?”

Yukiko waves her arms around in a large circle.

“Whoooo caaaares...? Wheee... I feel so good... Good niiiiight...”

And just like that, she falls asleep.

“All this is giving me a big headache...” Yosuke sighs. “Is this what a hangover feels like?”

Naoto just stares at him, and Teddie drunkenly raises a hand.

“Teddie’s shtill totaaally okay!! Lesh keep drinking ’til mornin’!”

Rise somehow wakes up at his words, giving him a drunken challenge.

“Hurh... bring it oooon...” ... And then she’s asleep again. Naoto gives her a flat look.

“As I said... you haven’t been drinking alcohol! Are you a pack of imbeciles?!”

The night drifted on, and we had to lug the others back to the hotel somehow... but this night would bring me just a little closer to Naoto. More than I’d understand would be important later. You see, not long afterward... our bond would become closer than ever. But what Naoto did... he would later just stick himself out there for an interview, making himself bait for the true culprit... and as I suspected he was doing, we would meet on the 13th...  


* * *

_September 13th, Morning..._

“I’d like to discuss the case with you all, if you don’t mind.”

I was surprised to see him out of his uniform, and further, to see him talking to us like this...

“First, as regards to commonalities between the victims, all of them were kidnapped before they were murdered. The victims were all locals who had been the focus of recent media attention, becoming suddenly well-known... That is the most likely scenario.” He concluded, looking into the distance of the school zone.

I couldn’t help feeling astonished. Without knowing half of what we did about the other world, he still figured all this out...

“I don’t believe there’s anything intrinsically unique about the victims themselves.”

He turned to look at us.

“Haven’t you all come to the same conclusion?”

I take a moment to consider my reply to Naoto. ... I might as well be honest.

“... Yeah, we did.”

Naoto nods to himself.

“Then allow me to state my point...” He looks back up at us, now. “Will you admit that a number of you fit these identical circumstances?”

We’re all shocked. He... figured out the others were kidnapped?

“There was a long interval between the second and third deaths of this case.” Naoto paused, looking thoughtful. “But after I applied the aforementioned criteria... I discovered several other similar disappearances had taken place. Yukiko Amagi, Kanji Tatsumi, Rise Kujikawa... all of you disappeared shortly after being shown on TV...”

I tried not to look too guilty. I managed to do a decent job of remaining neutral as always. Did he think we were suspects...?

“Either you all escaped death somehow, or you faked your own disappearances to divert attention from yourselves... and since some of you had ties to the victims, there came a point where I suspected one of you must be the culprit.”

Chie was upset now, and she yelled to prove it.

“You thought one of US was the killer?! You CAN’T be serious!”

Naoto nodded, remaining stoic even in the face of just saying he once suspected all of us to potentially be serial murderers.

“This was a prior theory, since discarded. Putting together everything I’ve learned until this moment... I believe exactly the opposite.”

We all stared, confused as to what he was getting at. Did he... know about our abilities?

“You aren’t the culprits. You may, in fact, be the only ones with the means to pursue the true perpetrator... Seen as a joining of forces between the rescued, everything falls into place.”

Pausing for a moment, he hastily added: “... Of course, this is all speculation.”

I’m about to point out a problem I’m seeing here, when Naoto states it himself, turning away from all of us yet again to stare outwards, pensive.

“There is in fact a flaw in the theory. It doesn’t account for the third incident... Morooka-san’s murder. He has never been broadcast on television, and neither did he ever disappear. We must also consider the condition of his corpse...”

He sighs.

“The first two victims are still listed with an unknown cause of death... But Morooka-san died of an easily identifiable blunt force trauma to the occipital cranium. The police have not satisfactorily resolved this discrepancy, yet that are desperate to close the case. Further action will be necessary to obtain some sort of decisive evidence.”

Chie was completely confused by all of this. ... To be honest, I have no idea what ‘occipital’ means, either, but I think I follow the rest of Naoto’s logic...

“Further action?” Chie asked, looking puzzled. “What do you mean?”

... I had a feeling he meant making himself popular on television like the other night, but I wasn’t going to voice this theory.

“Well, whatever the outcome...” He turned to us once more. “The evidence should come to light. ... You said something interesting to me not long ago.”

Naoto began to walk off, and we all turned. Yosuke called out, and Naoto stopped walking.

“... Hey, where are you going?”

Naoto placed a hand on his hip.

“... Please, make no mistake. This is not a game for me either.”

“Naoto-kun...?” Yukiko said, in confusion as he walked off. We were left to stare at each other... I turned to everyone else and spoke firmly.

“... I’m concerned he might be doing something extreme. We should stay on high alert...”

And as I expected... Naoto didn’t bother coming to school today. Nor would he show up the next day, either... And the Midnight Channel the next night, when it was raining, would show an image that looked just like him. All of this would culminate in Naoto’s eventual kidnapping as well. Intentionally making himself bait for the murderer... and relying on us to rescue him. Of course, we managed like the rest, but... as I said before, something about Naoto would later allow our relationship to be far different from that of my other bonds. The Fortune Link... Naoto began to mean more to me than the rest...


	6. » The Sixth Chamber « Out with a B A N G.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When all but one of the chambers are expended in your gun in a game of Russian Roulette, then it's almost certain that the only one left is either a blank or the one who was waiting all along to kill you...
> 
> ... All you can do is pray that someone will hear you before it's too late...
> 
> Because ultimately, you're rigged, or your fate is completely in the cards. To go out with a bang, and not a whimper, is a dreamer's dream, and nothing more, when you're face-down on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is EXTREMELY LONG, extremely whammy-filled, and lives up to those tags I put in the beginning. There will be a lot of perspective flippery, simply to tell it but eventually I THINK we'll be settling in on two specific ones; mostly, this one was the toughest one to write, I think, simply for the sheer amount of "holy hell in a handbasket" going on.
> 
> I AM SO SORRY, IT.
> 
> So, so sorry...
> 
> (This chapter will use remnants of Golden's Social Link with Adachi. Although uncovered, I may go back later and edit in all the scenes the two shared, but that'll be a lot of work--maybe I'll make it a bonus chapter later.)

* * *

_???, December 6th..._

... All I can feel... is exhaustion. It’s been two days. For as many people as I had helped save from the television world... as many Personas as I’d gained with the power of my bonds... I had paid more attention to the bond itself in this case, rather than where it led. To know we’d worked so hard to get to this point in December... to watch the fog get worse... to find out Taro Namatame had been behind the kidnappings and nearly throw him into the TV ourselves, to move past that... my uncle, in the hospital, my little cousin, who may as well be my sister at this point, nearly dead... saving Naoto from herself. Teddie’s disappearance... realizing Naoto-kun, too, had secrets... I... had been looking forward to spending Christmas with her, as my official girlfriend. We were... going to tell the others soon, and hope Kanji wouldn’t kill me.

I’m... honestly sad I’ll probably never get to see her become more comfortable in her own skin. To help her realize she’s beautiful the way she is, no matter how she chooses to be.

... Hah. You know... it’s my own fault. Now that I think about it? It was stupid of me, not to notice... all the times he obviously was too nice. But who’d ever suspect the goofy, bumbling, loose-lips detective? The man I’d befriended because he seemed so alone, like he needed a break from the monotony of Inaba? The man who I’d thought would be framed because he couldn’t be the murderer. He simply couldn’t. Not one of my bonds.

They couldn’t be...

* * *

_Two days earlier, December 4th..._

“Heeey, Seta-kun. You called me over to your house all of a sudden... you must be lonely here by yourself. Wanted some company?”

I shake my head at Adachi.

“... Adachi. I need answers. I need to know I’m wrong. I haven’t told the others, I burned that letter believing in your innocence...”

His expression turns from the usual dopey smile to a small frown.

“... Aww, c’mon, Seta-kun. It was just a little fun...”

I suddenly realize... I’m in a bad position right now. What was I thinking? Calling him to my bedroom. Well, the TV in here is too small for him to put me into it. I should be safe.

“You’re my accomplice now, you know. You’ve forsaken all your stupid little friends to help a murderer! How’s it feel?”

All I can do... is hang my head in shame.

“... I trusted you. I believed in your innocence, and you just used me, didn’t you?”

To my surprise, he laughs. It’s... a terrifying laugh. The laugh of a man with nothing in this world he cares for...

“Hahaha...”

... He’s standing in front of my door... I’m not going to get out of this easily... Nanako wasn’t here—she was still recovering. Would anyone hear outside, if something happened? My uncle is still in the hospital, he won’t know I’m missing...

“You know... if it wasn’t for me, you and your little friends never would’ve met. Really, you ought to be thanking me. Look at all the good entertainment I’ve brought this shithole!”

I feel a cold chill going down my spine. This man really was the murderer. No more false leads, like Mitsuo. No more inconsistencies, like Namatame...

“Then let me get something straight, Adachi.” I begin, trying to remain calm. He’s... probably not armed, I think? Not right now. I mean legally, he’s allowed to carry a weapon, but at least he can’t throw me into the TV, right...?

“... You threw in Maiyumi Yamano and Saki Konishi, knowing full well they’d both die. Then, when Namatame-san called you... it was you who told him to go saving people, so he started kidnapping them... then, when the police fingered Mitsuo, your game was close to coming to an end, you knew he’d stop saving people... so you threw him into the TV as well, hoping to continue it. You wrote me a threatening letter to further it. I burned that letter thinking you were innocent later...”

Adachi’s face contorts into a look of pure spite now.

“Yamano was a bitch! I saw her first, and Namatame just HAD to go after her... but the first time was an accident. She just... fell in.”

... I can tell he’s telling the truth.

“I mean, how was I supposed to know that people going into the TV’d die? But when I discovered my power, I realized... I could use it for something _interesting_. Konishi? I was interviewing her and I had to make sure she didn’t figure anything out... and you know, I was gonna try to be nice to her, but no, she had to go and be a little bitch, too! So I pushed her in. She deserved it.”

Now I’m mad.

“She did not! Did you even know her? Or the people who cared for her? Or the little brother she’d leave behind?!”

Adachi just sneers at me.

“Awww, you’re mad? Now? After HELPING me? Hahaha! That’s RICH, Seta. It’s fuckin’ hilarious. And y’know what? Namatame did the rest for me. Yeah, I wrote the letter. But you know... who was it that pinned me? Who was it that lied to his friends and helped me get away scot-free...?”

He steps closer to me, and I back up. Adachi pulls out a gun... I’m... going to die, aren’t I?

“I made this town INTERESTING. I got shoved into this nowheresville shithole! So I figured... why not have some fun? And you know what? This has been great. You ARE my friend, _Seta-kun_. So tell me—”

I hear the pistol click.

“Little detective... there’s no one left who knows what’s going on but you. And you know what? You’re the last loose thread I had to tie up aside from that letter. I was gonna do it in the precinct, y’know, but I just couldn’t resist watching you struggle to realize it was me. It was too entertaining...”

I feel sick to my stomach. To know the person I’d bonded with so closely... was like this.

“... You asshole.”

I don’t cuss often. But he deserved it. I can feel Magatsu Izanagi in the back of my head, cackling away... and in my mind, the Pierrot Arcana shatters... into Lust. ... It hurts. It hurts, dammit. Both the Arcana shift, and Adachi’s betrayal of my trust. My friendship.

“Now, see... I don’t want to just kill you. That’d be too boring. So I think, instead, you can be the fourth victim. I wonder where you’ll turn up...?”

... And in that moment, we get into a struggle. I manage to swat Adachi’s gun away from him, but he pins me to the ground with surprising force and hits my head on my own table. Dazed and confused, I find myself being hoisted up and—

Everything’s going black and white... it’s fading... I’m...

* * *

_Moments Later..._

I’m breathing heavily, a little scuffed up, but it’s finally done. The last thread tying me as the murderer has been disposed of. Souji Seta... hoisted into his own TV... what a chump. Did he seriously think I ever gave a shit about him? Of course not. It was just hilarious to watch him make friends with me, and he was entertaining. Hell, he even proved to be a downright useful accomplice. But, as the saying goes, one good throw deserves another!

... Oh, it’s ‘turn’, not throw, isn’t it? Hahahah, oh well. With one final grin, I pick up my gun, put it back in my holster, and go downstairs. There, I find the brat’s cellphone on the table. Let’s see... it’ll be a few days before the fog sets in. His little brat friends will probably notice he’s missing if I don’t say something... hmmm. The best thing to do would be to say he was at the hospital, since Dojima-san and Nanako-chan are still recovering. I flip it open, the wallpaper has a picture him and his stupid friends. I pull up the menu and start typing a text message:

“hey guys. i’m going to be with my uncle and nanako this weekend. thanks - souji”

... That sounds good enough. By the time they realize he’s not at Inaba Municipal Hospital, he’ll already be hanging in someone’s antenna. Man, I love this power. Everything has become so much more interesting since I accidentally pushed Yamano in. When he’s discovered, I’ll attend the funeral... ’course, I’ll need to spice things up with Namatame being transferred out in a few days. It won’t really matter, in the end. Lately, though, an odd idea’s been in my head... the idea of something else besides entertainment. The other world, it would be so much better if everyone turned into Shadows, really... no one would have to worry anymore and I wouldn’t have to deal with this bumfuck town. Eventually, this boring place’ll be gone, too.

I can’t wait to see it disappear... yeah. That’s what I’ll do soon, when I’m done with these brats. In a few months, everything will change for the better, and they can’t stop it. I shut his phone off and throw it on the table again before walking out the door. I wasn’t terribly injured in the fight or anything, so it’s not like anyone will ask questions...

* * *

_???, Two days later, December 6th..._

... Surely the others would come looking for me soon... they’d have to notice I was missing, right...? Then again, I betrayed them... and he betrayed me in turn. Maybe I deserve this...

As the hours drag on, and the Shadows continue to attack at me, I become exhausted. Without knowing where I’m going in this world, it’s... just a maze. To make matters worse, a whole city has started appearing right before my eyes. It... looks exactly like my old home. The cities I’ve been to. ... All of them, really... it’s using my own mind to grow, isn’t it? Like the other victims. ... I really hope I don’t manifest a Shadow. Hell, I’m having a time dealing with the Shadows in here, gnawing on my hide, slowly wearing me down. I can see a large building in the distance... climbing the stairs will be a pain, but it might get me away from the Shadows for a little while, at least, and maybe I... can rest.

As I climb the stairs at a slow, dragging pace, the only thought going through my mind is that...

_‘I’m going to die... aren’t I? I’m going to die, and they’ll find my body like Naoki’s sister was found, and... Yosuke, everyone... I’m... I’m sorry. Naoto... I failed you, as a Senpai. ... I failed everyone... as... a leader...’_

She was my girlfriend for a reason. When we’d first found out Naoto was a girl, I’d... originally been shocked. Not because it bothered me, or because I thought she needed to change; no, none of that. It was because, to me, Naoto was a strong individual who put her life on the line regularly, and I had never quite met any woman like her, period. She was braver, smarter, and in a lot of ways STRONGER than a lot of men I’d come across. But as we spoke, as we became closer... I didn’t bond with anyone else nearly as quickly as her. It’s true, I probably could’ve picked the others—Yukiko, Chie, Rise, Ai, Yumi... but... Naoto-kun was the one I picked. I guess I’d just... been waiting for her all along, maybe. Something about her drew me in...

... And I’d failed her. I’d helped her, and then I’d let her down. I’m... honestly ashamed. I should’ve told them about Adachi, instead of keeping it to myself... instead of burning that letter... instead of blindly forging ahead, seeing only the bond, but not where it led... I finally reach the top floor and open the door to the roof with a large sigh. I’m weaponless, unprepared, out of energy and exhausted. I’ve never been this tired in my entire life. Or... this lost. Even with all my Personas, I can’t... save myself. It’s ironic, really... that this’d be how I’d die. But surely I can’t manifest a Shadow, at least...? I mean, I have a Persona. Several, really... I hear the cackle of Magatsu Izanagi in my head as I sit down and lean against the roof of the building. I don’t even have my glasses, so wandering in the fog has just left me feeling... sick. I was totally unprepared...

But I can hear Magatsu Izanagi getting louder, somehow. I’m concerned. If a Shadow were to manifest... wouldn’t it be—

I blink. I’m... where am I? I can’t tell, it’s too foggy. Across from me stands a dark figure...

_“Oh, boo hoo. I’m just so sad. I’m really a copout, aren’t I? I just used everyone for their power and then left them all in the dust!”_

That voice... it’s... mine?!

“W-who are you—”

_“Don’t bother acting like you don’t know. It just makes us both look stupid. I’m you.”_

Did I always sound so much like... like Adachi, now that I think about it...?

_“Hey. I’ve got a riddle for you, me. What do you get when the boy who’s had his share of solitude runs away from his own friends and helps a murderer instead?”_

All I can do is look down...

“... You get me.”

_“Good answer! That’s right, you get me! But... I don’t wanna be alone. Wouldn’t it be better to at least die with your friends here...? With them here to know how stupid I am? Because man, I am seriously stupid. I’m no better then him...”_

“... I won’t deny it. If... you’re looking to guilt me—” There’s nothing left... I’m finished. I’m too exhausted to be guilty anymore. I’ve been guilty for two days straight...

In a blink, the Shadow turns into Magatsu Izanagi...

_“You had the capacity to be him all along, and you know it. Had the situation been reversed, had he not given you the team, where would you even be? Attentionless, pitiful.”_

“... Shut up, asshole. I get it. I’m you, you’re me... just...”

_‘Just let me die in peace...’_

I’m snapped wide awake from the bizarre dream by a clicking noise. What could it be...?

* * *

_???, Seconds later..._

My boots land softly on the concrete building. This place, created by his mind... I’m pissed. Had he only listened to me, had he only taken my requests, he would have realized it’s never the bond itself that matters, but rather, who you are bonding with, why, where it _leads_... but it’s too late for that lesson. Margaret was also disappointed, but it was me who asked to go find him. At the end of the world, a young red-haired woman slumbers... her soul, stronger than mine ever was, protects all humanity from a menace...

Themselves.

And today, what he did... what he proved... was why, all along, we tried so hard to protect people from themselves. All I can do is find him. Not that it was EASY to locate Souji, given the labyrinth this TV world is. But I plan to challenge him to battle. Unfortunately, he... is already rather worn out. Even so, my anger is not. So many people had died. So many timelines had been sacrificed. So many realities had been warped... I myself gave up my own physical body and soul and my old life and became an attendant not by choice, but by necessity... I never minded it. It meant I was allowed to help guide him, but...  
I just didn’t want to see what happened to Shinjiro happen to him. What happened to so many others... to see him contribute to Erebus...  
Minako and I didn’t die just so he could fail. He’s ruined _everything_...

Of course, I have theories as to who is truly behind all that’s been happening here in Inaba. I could likely fight that person myself, given my powers. ... Even so, from my place, there are rules. I can’t do anything more than try to figure out why he let himself be led so far astray... and it’s nothing more than a mere suspicion, in the end. I have no concrete proof. The Room takes it’s position as a facilitator of important events within the timestream. We’re able to see all sorts of things, and we service guests once in awhile who bear the burden of a heavy, difficult destiny; most are wild cards, but the amount of those we see has dwindled drastically over human years. A shame, really, but this power is becoming rarer because the person who can properly wield it is something of a dying breed. It is, of course, one of my hopes to change this fact.

All I can do for right now, however, is try and keep my composure. I don’t get angry easily—it’s always been difficult to anger me—but I didn’t sacrifice so much... we didn’t sacrifice so much just for humans to die a year later due to his failure. I know what’ll happen. It will be Nyx, all over again, and I won’t even be able to stop it this time by myself. I don’t have enough of me left to even try. The situation is too different, anyway, and it won’t be that simple. They’ll all...

I’m terrified for the race I love so dearly. I’m terrified for him. I can’t help him anymore. The best I can do is probably put him out of his misery. If he dies... would he become someone who only added to Erebus? A hateful wraith that desires revenge, that hated what he did? I... can’t allow that to happen, either. It’s why I’m here now. I have to talk to him.

My charge.

My guest.

I approach quietly.

* * *

_???, Rooftop..._

When I look up, I see one of the Velvet Room staff here. Magatsu Izanagi must’ve been shut up by him. He’s cowering in my head, warning me of Michael’s approach... none of my other Personas are such wussies. But I guess it’s useful to tell me something’s approaching, without Rise or Teddie here... all that’s left for me is death, huh... When he speaks, his voice is terse. I can tell he’s angry. It’s not surprising... the Room always promoted my pursuit of the truth, and claimed to be there to make sure that I didn’t go down the wrong path or end up lost... hell of a lot of good it did. They might’ve been there to make sure I succeeded, but in the end, my fate was ultimately in my own hands, as they said so very many times. This was my decision... and, even if I accept it, I still regret it immensely. I will own up to it, and I hate it, but it was mine.

... God, I’m an idiot.

“... This is what you earned.”

I’m too tired to snap, but my voice is equally terse in response, if a lot more tired.

“I know.”

... Can’t he just let me die in peace? And yet... he has to have a reason for being here... for once, I’m conflicted. I want Michael to go, but I also want him to stay, to know why he’s bothered to find me. Eventually, my mouth gets the better of my sense.

“... Why are you here?”

He shakes his head. I wish I could understand him... he’d always been so oddly mysterious. But, really, it’s kind of my fault... I didn’t try hard enough to help him.

“I have my reasons.”

The Velvet assistant steps closer to me, his long coat blowing around through the wind and fog. ... I find myself wondering if his glasses are special and he can see through this fog, unlike me.

“... They’ll die, you realize. What will you do about it?”

With a small frown, I realize he’s right, of course. Adachi will probably kill my entire team. They know too much. They’ll never see it coming... I’m not happy with this outcome, but what can I do about it? I exhale quietly. I feel guilty about it... but there’s nothing I can do.

“I realize, yes.”

I’m silent for a moment. I can sense Michael’s quiet anger building.

“... Assuming I don’t actually form a Shadow, I’m guessing what I’ll do after this is die.”

I can see Michael clenching his book tightly, here. Is that the Persona Compendium? Didn’t Margaret usually hold that...? ... I suppose all of them can use it. But why would he—?

“You... idiot...” He says.

Michael is shaking. I’ve... never seen him this emotional, let alone this... _angry_.

“If I was allowed, I would have stopped you myself... I would have... done something... I can’t believe that you...”

He shook his head, here. I swallow. Was he here to lash out at me in anger? Well, better that than the Shadows, I suppose...

“Do you know how many people have had to fight so that you could even make it to this point? How many people died, suffered... all for this future? ... As long as you’re still alive, there is nothing I can do. He’ll...” His anger falters here, and I can hear a hint of upset. “He’ll kill your entire team. They got too close...”

I listen intently, silent. Berated for my actions. Foolish, damning for everyone... spitting in the face of those who cared for the future and the truth. I want to say I felt guilty, but... there’s nothing left for me, here. I’m too exhausted. Too pained. Hope is out of the picture, now, and I’m about to ask him what he wants me to do, when my tired mind replays his last statement.

“... ‘As long as I’m still alive?’ ... What... does that mean? What would you be able to do... if I died?”

I stare up at Michael. I’ve been thrown down here with the knowledge I’ve lost. I want Adachi stopped, and I want him stopped badly... before he kills my entire team. My friends... the people I care about. I just can’t let him _win_... Everything hurts. My mind, my body, my heart... it aches. I’ve screwed up. Life doesn’t give you second chances. But when I glance back up to the attendant, I find myself taken aback by Michael’s expression, when he sees my desperation. It’s... hesitance. And maybe a bit of fear. I’ve... never seen him express either of those, not once, in the entire time I’ve known him. He could be a little shy, but... he bites his lip. I’m surprised to see his anger disappearing.

“... I...”

Still, he hesitated.

“I could make you... like us. Like... Margaret and I. But—”

Wasn’t there always an if? A but? A catch? I sigh.

“... But?”

“Interference with the living is absolutely forbidden. I can... I can only do that for someone whose journey is, for all intents and purposes, over. Your role... would have to be completely finished.”

Which is a nice way of saying I’d have to die. ... Well, it’s not as though I’m any better off down here. I’m already on death’s doorstep... Admittedly, seeing this... seeing his hesitance, his anger ebbing away... it surprises me. And it scares me, genuinely. Was it that bad? But my alternative is not doing anything, not trying... I’m desperate at this point...

“... Do it.”

A offer a small, weak smile. It tells just how desperate I truly am. A small voice inside me cries out if I died, if I just gave in... Adachi would WIN, I would lose, they would die. I couldn’t let that happen. My voice is breaking, now... my mouth is dry.

“But I don’t promise anything unless I can help them. If I can’t... if they don’t realize who the culprit is, they’ll all be killed!”

I... I couldn’t... let them die. Not the people I had bonded so closely with, not my closest friends...

“I... I can’t allow that to happen...”

I’m surprised by Michael closing his eyes, here. He looks... oddly familiar with my desperation. Pained, behind those glasses.

“I... came here in an official capacity to... challenge you to fight me.”

I’m surprised by this. To... fight him? What on earth... did that mean?

“I had hoped that by fighting you, I could... perhaps get your reason for doing what you did. You do realize, if you do this, you will likely only be allowed to contact one of them in your dreams? You... could pass your powers onto that person—an old friend of mine did it once before, but...”

Michael opened his eyes, now, looking into my own.

“... Are... you sure you want this?”

I... slowly force myself to my feet. It’s hard, but I manage shakily. All the rules he’s bound by... I would desperately love to help them smash Adachi to pieces, but they would need to think I’m dead, huh... I couldn’t just show up once, then disappear... they’d think I’d abandoned them. Though, really, I did. I abandoned them. I chose to be an accomplice. I’m breathing heavily from standing, but I give him the most determined glare I can muster.

“... Is there any other choice?”

Michael shakes his head.

“Even I had a hard time navigating this place. It’s become labyrinthine... it took me two days to find you here, even with my abilities.”

I just give him a small grin.

“... If you still want to challenge me... I’d be alright with it.”

Michael nods quietly, the Compendium flipping open to a blue bookmark. I feel a warm light wash over me and my energy and spirit comes back to me... he... healed me, I think...? I’m not sure how, but...

“My abilities are bound to my Master. I’m allowed to use them only to help a person reach their potential. ... Or to do battle if accepted. ... If you win, I will allow you one thing—I’m obligated to give you a reward for beating me, after all. If you lose... you will die regardless.”

Well, if that isn’t terrifying, I don’t know what is. Still, it’s a good thing I’m practically fearless, at this point... his expression is serious. I can tell he won’t hold back. If he isn’t allowed to outright kill me, then he can kill me in battle... though, I’m not sure if I should win or lose, now. I guess I’ll just have to do my best.

“I understand.” I pause momentarily. “... Let’s get this over with. _Persona_!”

Even I’m a little surprised it’s Magatsu Izanagi that I call first, but... if I was going to truly accept him, accept this... then I should use him first, right? Called forth, he hovers near me, corrupt as he may be. Michael says a few words before he begins.

“I... am a being of power, bound by a fate completely unlike that of a human. I don’t know what I’m looking for... But I am working to ensure humanity’s future is one where worlds like this are unnecessary.”

A card appears above the book he’s holding open, and I see him twist it sideways before he crushes it in his hand, calling forth a large, white Persona I’ve never seen before...

“Messiah, come forth.”

His words are calm, despite the fierce attack I know is about to hit me...

The battle is long and difficult. I see now what he means by being of power. He can summon Tarot cards and hit me with that Compendium, and it hurts in ways I’d’ve never expected... and although I give it my all, I’m still exhausted from the last few days. I can’t switch Personas quick enough. I can’t defend or block fast enough, and I wasn’t prepared for some of the attacks I’d never seen, or his speed. There’s nothing for it left when I find myself pinned to the rooftop, the attendant holding the same Compendium open over my exhausted body a final time, a gloved hand hovering, waiting to make the final strike. I know I’m boned now.

“Souji Seta... if you don’t want all that humans have been through until now to go to waste... then you, too, will have to find a new purpose. ... Do you have anything to say?”

Even so... all I can do is smile peacefully. Michael isn’t the sort of person who would lie, or not keep his word. If... if I can save my friends, I’m okay with dying, really... they’ll have to manage without me. It beats being dead forever, anyhow.

“... I’ll do what I can.” Is my final reply.

“... Consider this a token of my gratitude for our battle, Seta-san.” The way he says it is uncharacteristic of his usual English. It denotes the utmost respect for me... somehow, even as exhausted as I am, I’m glad it’s at least him. I can trust him. From where I’m laying, I can see three cards fly out of the book... and I can feel them propping me up... and then, just as suddenly as Adachi had pushed me in here, I see Michael closing the book and heading directly for me. I’m not really... conscious of whatever happened after that. I can’t feel anything, only darkness and drifting... and peace.

* * *

_???, Moments later..._

As I quietly shut the Compendium and look over the crumpled body of Souji Seta, my charge, I’m sighing. One clean hit using the book to his neck and I broke it. It wasn’t difficult. As an attendant, I’d learned many different ways to kill and inflict pain. Still, it would be... bad if my tampering was seen, and thus, I use the same abilities I am gifted and hold a gloved hand over his neck, using my magic to knit his bones slowly back together so that his neck will be unable to be noticed as broken. ... Some of his clothing and his body showed signs of a fight, which seemed proper to leave for me, but the rest of it I wouldn’t touch. My last act is to quietly hold my hand out and allow the Velvet Key to float out of his pocket and into my own palm. I place it into my own pocket and look out over the horizon... after a moment, I take his body and gently set it against the rooftop, paying my respects. After that, I bring a card out of the Compendium and crush it, summoning the large God of Death, Thanatos, behind me.

I keep him summoned for company. I know it will be a long journey back to the door that leads to my home... and I don’t know Souji’s mindscape well enough to use a Velvet Door portal out of here. With Thanatos trailing behind me, I jump off the building and land gently on the ground below. Shadows flee from my wake, terrified of a being far more powerful than them.

“I am... suddenly filled by the urge to visit an old friend. There is more negativity in the world of late, and I am sure he has gotten stronger... let us go see him.”

With that, it was over. I begin the walk back to the Velvet Room...


	7. » The First Reload « Put your bullets in, set your sights for justice.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new murder is discovered, and the victim is one that no one is ready to accept. Can the Investigation Team overcome this? How will they manage without their fearless leader? Will they be able to solve the crime...? It falls on Naoto to be strong for everyone else, even if she doesn’t want to be—that’s her job.
> 
> And her duty, given the victim.
> 
> Time marches onward, and brings us all to the same end...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A point of view switch, at long last, to our proper protagonist! Or, well, who I’d say it is, anyway. From here on out, Naoto will not be the only one we see perspective-wise, but it’s _probably_ safe to say she’ll be the one we see most often.
> 
> ENJOY THE HEARTBREAK.
> 
> This chapter was hell on my own heart to write. Admittedly I have never written most of the whole IT before, so hopefully they’re not horrendously OOC.

* * *

_December 7th, outside Naoto’s home..._

He had been found in her antenna. Her own home’s television antenna. She had been walking home from work, trying to help with Dojima–san in the hospital, she’d put her glasses on because the fog was so bad in Inaba she could barely see the way home—

And his body, upside–down, just... there... the life gone from his eyes... signs of a small scuffle (he must have gone down fighting, but that was little solace to her), but otherwise, the same ‘mysterious’ death as the other two victims. Another person they failed to save, and this time... it was the glue holding them all together.

_‘How I wish I could erase that image from my mind. Him simply... hanging there, like Saki Konishi and Mayumi Yamano. But as a detective, I couldn’t allow myself not to look at it, even as I called the police. I wanted to both erase and burn the image in my mind: every last detail... so that I could find the scum who killed him... and so that his death... would not be in vain. As a detective, I was trained never to divert my eyes from the truth, no matter how horrifying... but for once, I found myself wishing I could.’_

She had opened her mouth wide in shock. There was a long, drawn–out, painful scream coming from deep inside her as her school bag hit the ground. Naoto Shirogane fell to her knees when she saw, through the fog, the body of one Souji Seta. She hadn’t... he was supposed to be with Dojima and Nanako at the hospital... how did this—

Why was she shaking...? She could have stopped this, if only they’d—no. Those sort of thoughts... they wouldn’t help her find his killer.

“No... Senpai...”

_‘This case had always been a little too personal for me. After all, I gave myself purposefully to the culprit in order to prove that Mitsuo Kubo was NOT the killer. They were the only ones who could stop him. But I had never expected to find him as a victim. ... Even though I pride myself in being able to distance myself from most cases, this one was always personal. It just became even more personal. It was the toughest moment of my life, what followed next, after I called the police to report finding the body... because I had to call **them**.’_

Shakily, she had picked up her cellphone and dialed the Inaba PD. In time, they arrived to begin processing the scene... they didn’t have long to wait. Meanwhile, she had to do the hardest thing in her life she’d ever done, over and over again. Call the Investigation Team. All of them... Teddie was missing, and now their leader was dead...

“I... I should call Yosuke–senpai first... he was second–in–command.”

That decided, Naoto dialed his number. At his home, Yosuke blearily blinked awake, fumbling around in his bed to reach for the phone on his nightstand. It took him a moment. Whoever the hell was calling him at THIS HOUR had better have a damn good reason.

“Don’t you know what time it is? Geez, what... who is it?”

Naoto bit her lip on the other end, pausing. She was watching them tape off the scene, now...

“Senpai... i–it’s Naoto. I apologize for calling at such a ridiculous hour, but I am afraid it’s now my job to be the bearer of bad news.”

Yosuke felt something in him tighten with the sort of sick anticipation he’d had on every foggy day. Was... was another victim found? But hadn’t Namatame been cleared by them? They even spoke to him (though, without Souji, it was up to him and Naoto to do the questioning), and were certain the decision not to throw him in the day Nanako almost died was right. Technically speaking, he was still in the hospital... just... in a different one, far away. There was no way he could’ve been responsible, right? This made no sense at all. They were certain the real killer was still at large.

“... Yeah? What is it?”

Naoto inhaled. Somehow, she was... for the first time in her life, afraid to speak about a case. She could do this, though. She simply had to distance herself...

“A... Another body was found this morning.”

Yosuke didn’t know when he started clenching his teeth, but it was happening now.

“... And? Who was the victim?”

And Naoto was breaking down now. All her composure was slowly slipping out of her grasp. It was a futile effort, like trying to hold sand. Her... her own boyfriend, the person who helped her accept herself for who she was, her assistant, her leader, her senpai... the noise of the police and more sirens could be heard behind her as more cops arrived.

“It... it was Souji–senpai.” Naoto’s voice quiets, close to whispering after this. “I... I’m... looking at his corpse, right now...”

... On the other end, Yosuke was in shock for a full fifteen seconds before suddenly—

“No! Bullshit, don’t tell me that! You’re lying!”

It comes out before he can even think about it. He doesn’t want to believe it, he _can’t_ believe it... after a long pause, Yosuke swallows and tries to calm himself. Without Souji... as second–in–command, he had to step up. He had to emotionally calm himself to help the others. Naoto... Naoto was likely in a lot of pain right now. They tried to hide it, but he could tell his partner had finally found a girl, and that it was her. They bonded faster than anyone else he’d seen transfer in. She must be suffering even more than him, and... and he had to go find her. Yosuke hurried around his room, throwing his clothes on.

“... Sorry. Look, I’ll be over ASAP. Where are you?”

Naoto had waited patiently on her end for him to figure things out.

“I am presently in front of my residence...” She paused, for a moment. “The police are... already here. You might have a bit of trouble with them; I’ll tell them to expect you.”

... Well, he appreciated that. But he had to hurry.

“And... senpai. I will call the others. ... Thank you.”

With that, the two of them hung up. She’d need to repeat the call several more times... she wasn’t looking forward to it, really. She ignored Adachi’s call and instead, next, dialed Chie. Who, at the moment, believed it to be Yosuke and rolled back over in bed, yawning. It could go to her voicemail, she TOTALLY wasn’t in the mood. Naoto, however, refused to stop calling until she picked up, and the cellphone continued ringing. Chie tried covering her ears with her pillow, but it just wouldn’t stop. Finally, she burst out of bed, annoyed.

“Rrgh... Yosuke, what did I tell you about calling me this early?! It’s _three in the morning_ , so unless someone died, I don’t wanna hear it.”

Naoto, on the other end, is taken slightly aback.

“... Senpai, it’s Naoto. And... that is precisely the reason I called...”

Wait... Naoto–kun? Why was she... wait, that’s why she called...?

“Huh?” Chie said, confused. “What’s going on?”

Naoto swallowed. She could do this...

“... I found someone positioned in a similar manner as Maiyumi Yamano and Konishi–san.”

Chie felt her heart begin pounding. The murderer... but hadn’t they stopped Namatame? What the heck was going ON...?

“Oh, god, I’m so sorry! I should’ve checked...” Chie gently placed her palm against her forehead. Time to change the subject. “W–well, it couldn’t be Namatame, right? I mean... we stopped him, and there’s NO WAY this is another copycat. So who was it?”

Naoto was having a hard time saying this repeatedly, and knowing the reaction she would get wasn’t making it much easier. ... Man, did Yosuke owe her.

“It’s quite understandable, given the hour. It’s...” She could do this. She did it with Yosuke, she could do it again. Deep breaths. She hated how small her voice sounded, despite herself. “It... it’s him. It’s... Souji–senpai.”

The line was silent for seventy–three seconds. The only sound on both ends of the line was the two of them breathing, and Chie sat, frozen in place. This... this couldn’t be real...

“You’re... y–you’re lying! He’s not...”

Naoto’s silent near–sobs on the other end told a different story, and listening close enough, Chie could hear how distraught she was. Trying to calm herself, Naoto wiped her eyes and inhaled deeply. There was a lump in her throat that just... wouldn’t leave.

“I... I truly wish... I was.”

It was then Chie began crying, herself. The tears running, she just didn’t want to do this anymore. Before she knew it, she was screaming.

“S–shut up! He’s _not_ dead! He can’t be!”

Chie could hear noises in her own home; her mother must’ve been woken up by her yelling, but she didn’t care. The door creaked open, and Naoto could just make out a faint but indistinguishable voice.

“S... sorry, mom. Look, I’ll explain later... yeah, g’night... you too.”

She couldn’t believe it. This couldn’t be real. It was just a nightmare, a stupid nightmare, too many days with this case and the culprit at large on their mind... surely... he’d show up in school later and be all, “are you guys nuts? I’m fine! It was just a guy who looked like me!” And everything would be okay...

Naoto, for her part, just takes the yelling and Chie’s denials. She expected as much. She tried to remain calm herself, to distance herself, put up walls... it’s easier to do that than to watch the reality. And anyway, she couldn’t speak right now even if she wanted to. Her voice felt trapped somewhere, in her throat. What she wanted more than anything, right now, was to run to Tatsumi Textiles and cling to Kanji, even in the middle of the night. She... didn’t want to be alone... He had left her, just like her parents...

_‘How I wished this were truly a nightmare... that I would wake up, or someone would yell, ‘surprise!’ and everything would be some kind of joke... but it wasn’t. It was real, as real as the other victims... to this day, I still don’t understand why he had to die. He didn’t deserve it... I’d have rather died in his place. Surely I was the most annoying of our lot for the killer, surely it should’ve been me. ... Even after that, I have a target on my back. I still have to be careful, as I found his body back then...’_

After a long moment, Chie’s sniffles could be heard on the other end, and she shakily spoke again.

“S... sorry. I... I shouldn’t have blown up like that, it’s just... I... I need some time, okay?”

But what Chie needed right now was different. She needed space, time to process this in her own way, alone. Maybe a day off from school... soon it’ll be all everyone would talk about, and Chie wasn’t sure she could handle that. ... After a long moment, Naoto forced a steady reply, as calm as she could make herself out to be. She wasn’t even able to lower her voice as normal in that moment; she just didn’t have it in her to care.

“N–no. It’s all right, Senpai.” ... But everything was not all right. It would never be all right, not ever again. “I can more than understand the necessity...”

Chie felt the storm of sobbing coming. She could barely hold it back right now. She... didn’t want her underclassman to hear her a blubbering mess.

“Right... well... um, N–Naoto–kun, you... you have my number, so... so just call me, alright? I–I’m not as good at this as Souji–kun was, but I’m... happy to do what I can.”

At the thought of Souji, the floodgates were beginning to creak open for Chie. She couldn’t contain the sobs for much longer. Truthfully, had Naoto herself not broken down when she first discovered the corpse, she’d be in the same state.

“Thank you, Senpai.”

... Chie couldn’t do this anymore.

“Right, I just... I should...” She was done.

“And, take care of—” Naoto was slightly startled to hear the click of Chie hanging up and the dial tone, but said nothing more. On the other end, in her room, Chie sobbed into her pillow, incoherent and screaming. Why did it have to be him? Why did it have to be the one they all cared about the most?! Why couldn’t they take her instead? The guy who trained with her, the guy who helped her see that she needed to protect Yukiko and that she wasn’t some stupid tomboy, but a great person?

Naoto sighed, feeling more alone than ever. She knew she still had more phone calls to make, and all of them would be this way. ... But it was her duty. She... owed them this much. And, she reminded herself, Yosuke would be here soon. Next was Yukiko. As she began dialing the number of Yukiko’s cell, it took a little while for her to pick up, but not like Chie—sure, Yukiko herself was groggily getting up to roll over and answer it, but she wasn’t outright ignoring it. Just wondering why someone would call her at... what time was it, anyway? She glanced at her alarm clock: 3:11 AM... as Yukiko looked at the caller ID, she was hit with a pang of shock. Naoto–kun? At this time of the morning?

“... Yes? What is it?”

Naoto wasn’t looking forward to this... she cleared her throat, trying to get that awful knot out of it.

“Yukiko–senpai, I... I’m sorry to call you so early, but another victim was just discovered.”

“Another one...?” Yukiko winced. She didn’t... she couldn’t... did they fail to save someone else? It was already killing her to realize... they’d failed yet again. After a brief pause, she spoke again. “... W–who was it?”

Naoto fell silent on the line for a moment, trying to calm herself down. Souji would never want her to be this way, after all... and she still had a job to do. After exhaling, she managed to slowly say it again... for the third time that night, making this all the more real, all the more painful.

“... It was Souji–senpai.”

Yukiko’s voice became quiet. The tears... began flowing before she could even realize they had.

“... No...”

Their leader, the one who had guided them through all of this... the one who saved her life... _gone_...? Her voice is barely above a whisper when she next speaks. She... couldn’t manage any better, not with this bombshell.

“I don’t want to believe it... he couldn’t have...”

Naoto remained silent from her end, and to the officers at the scene, it’s very obvious that she’s trying desperately to reign in her own emotions. She can’t hide behind her hat, stop existing, but she damn well wanted to try. Her own voice was barely squeezed out above a whisper.

“I... do not wish to believe it either, however—” As she looked up again at the antenna on her Grampa’s rooftop, Naoto bit back a small, silent sob, and her voice cracked. “I... I am... looking right at him...”

Yukiko managed to choke out a few words, well aware Naoto was suffering as badly as she was, but her response becomes quieter still, more... broken, as it all sank in on her, heavy like the weight of too many boxes she’d carry to help out at the inn. Heavy, like her responsibilities as future manager would be...

“If... i–if you need someone to come over, I can...”

Her mind was slowing to a halt, and that’s all she could manage before sobs escaped her. ... He... really was **gone**. Taken away from them in a blink before they could realize what was going on. **Dead.** And no one was in the position to figure out who was responsible... except them, in this moment. All she could think, all her mind could keep running over and over and over, was...

_‘Why did it have to be this way...? What did we do to deserve this? What did he do to deserve this? Who... who could do this...?’_

It wasn’t fair... everyone loved him. He was so kind, so caring, he taught her so much, as a friend... what good was her power if she couldn’t even save one of the people she was closest to with it?!

_‘How it pained me to hear Yukiko–senpai and the others like this. All I could think to myself, the only solace I had, was that somehow, I would find his killer, and I would bring him to justice... but even that does not give you comfort, when the person you love more than the world is found hanging from your own TV antenna. I had no choice but to be strong for all of them. ... Someone had to be.’_

Naoto desperately wished she could cling to them all, but now was not the time, she knew. Now was the time for investigation. She remained silent for a long time, only a small choked noise escaping as she tried to regain her own composure. Even though she’d trained for so long for this sort of thing... to learn to block it out... for it to be Souji, she couldn’t... quite do it. She could sense Yukiko’s pain so clearly that it hurt her even more. She also wished she could weep with her, but she knew she could not. Not with all the officers and investigators around her, not with several calls still to make... eventually, Naoto managed to regain some of her composure, and speak again.

“... Yosuke–senpai is coming over. But... I’ll be at the inn in two hours’ time.”

She had to collect clues, investigate... do _anything_ she could to push back this horrible, awful pain. To block it out until her mind can fully comprehend what was happening. Souji... he was... so important—

... How her heart wept with Yukiko, though she had to remain composed.

“I... I’ll see you... then...”

That was all Yukiko could manage before she, too, hung up, shaking with sobs even worse than before. That left Rise, and the call that she felt would be the most difficult to make...

“I... need to call Kanji–kun... and Rise–san. ... I... I will leave Dojima–san to the others...”

Because, quite frankly, she was not sure she could handle telling Dojima he had just lost another family member to a random killer they had yet to ID. With a nod to herself, wiping her eyes once more, Naoto dialed the phone yet again, this time, to Rise. It rang for a bit until she thought she’d have to call again, before Rise finally picked up. From her end, to her point of view, she was getting her beauty sleep, dammit! That’s why she was on hiatus from the showbiz, so she could sleep in nice and long and not be awakened at three in the morning for random junk. Still, Rise answered anyway.

“... ’lo?” After the short, sleepy answer, Rise yawned loudly, reminding Naoto herself of how tired she was from the long day at school, and then work. Sadly, there was no rest for her, though the yawn, ever infectious, caused her to struggle not to noisily do so herself. Rise took a moment to wipe the sleep out of her eyes, checking the caller ID. ... Naoto...?

“Um... is everything okay? What’s up, Naoto–kun?”

Naoto paused, unsure how to put this.

“... No,” she admitted. “Everything is not okay. Rise–san, I apologize for calling you so early, but...”

Even though she had said it several times now, it was still difficult. It was like the truth was trapped in that damnable lump in her throat that refused to leave. Still, the urgency in Naoto’s tone is enough to snap Rise to being mostly awake. She slowly shifted, sitting up, before continuing.

“What happened?” She said, then hastily added, “You don’t sound so good.”

It’s true; she didn’t. Naoto wasn’t even able to lower her voice, let alone force out a sentence that didn’t feel strained. She was exhausted, aching in her heart. The pain was... unbearable. Truthfully, if she had a choice, she’d’ve made the calls later in the day, but... the team, her _friends_ — _his_ friends—deserved to know about his death before the media or town started talking about it and swapping rumors secondhand. They had a right to know. So she had to do this. She was still there, watching as they processed the crime scene. She... couldn’t leave him. Not... not yet.

“... Another corpse was found, Rise–san.” Naoto was hesitant to say it. “It... it was... Souji–senpai.”

Rise was in shock. No... no no no no no no no no NO! This was NOT true. This couldn’t be true! Maybe Yosuke put her up to this or something, whatever it was, she would have none of it. Because the Senpai that she loved, the guy who was so cool, so kind, so... so amazing... the guy who saved her life... couldn’t be dead. He just couldn’t be...

“Y–you—” Rise’s voice was shaky, but it was rising. “You can’t be... there’s no... Naoto–kun, this _isn’t funny_...!”

On the line, Rise could make out Naoto sharply inhaling to force down a near sob.

“I know, Rise–san.” The pause that followed was thick with tension and pain, and when she next spoke up, Naoto found her voice nothing more than a whisper. “He was... hanging from my television antenna—”

She couldn’t finish the sentence. She slumped against a nearby wall, knowing her voice was about to break and she was about to sob. She couldn’t afford to cry. Not then. Why... why did it have to be Senpai? It was all she could think. He didn’t hurt anyone... he was the light of so many lives, despite only just moving here for the year... and now... and now... Nanako had no big bro. Dojima had lost another family member to an unknown killer, and all of them had lost the person who helped them the most... who made Inaba a place to love... she hated this. It was her parents, all over again. She was powerless to stop it, just as she had been powerless to prevent their own death.

Rise gasped, dropping her phone on her bed. The noise that followed was her fumbling for it, but Naoto didn’t pay it much mind at the time. Had she not been in bed, Rise was certain she’d have dropped to the floor. This had to be a dream; it couldn’t be happening... tears welled up in her eyes, but even as they did, it wouldn’t stop her from wishing this wasn’t real.

“It can’t... ”

But Rise realized, if she was in this much pain, how must poor Naoto be...? And, selfishly, she didn’t want to be alone right now, thus...

“N–Naoto–kun, are you okay? Do you need any... any help...?”

Naoto sighed in response, mostly to keep herself composed. At this point, she really, truly wished that this was a nightmare, but the fact that she was trying to stay strong for all of them and herself right now was weighing heavily on her. It was taking it’s toll. She just wanted this to be over. Wanted Yosuke to be here... wanted to, for once, forsake her position as an assistant consulting detective and cling to her friends. To cry. To let all the anguish she was feeling out again, for she had not gotten it all out when she first found his body, mind turning to business, as usual. It was hard.

“Yosuke–senpai said he is on the way, but...” How could anyone be okay after what she just discovered? Really, the question was foolish. “I... may need somewhere to stay for the night. I’m going to see Yukiko–senpai after this, but...”

The press were certain to swarm the place, and although she’d love to stay with Yukiko, she was sure they would pinpoint the inn and go for it easily enough. She needed somewhere safe to stay, considering the press and the killer would likely be after her now. As she found him, as she was as close to the case (if not moreso) than he was, she likely had a large target emblazoned right on her backside, so to speak. She needed to be careful. Be with people she could trust. Rise paused, trying not to break down. All that acting training had... some use, she guessed. She could control her emotions for long enough, for now. Just... for this one call. Then she could break down.

“... You can come to my place, Naoto–kun. I... everyone can, if they want. The shop is closed because of the fog, anyway...”

Naoto let out a small sigh of relief then. At least she knew Rise had her back.

“I... still have some other calls to make. I will speak with you soon, Rise–san.”

In a weird way, it was bringing her even closer to the other members of the team, but Naoto hated that it had to be this that did it. Rise slowly bit her lip, but accepted that. ... Naoto had the hard part... she wasn’t sure she could hold out much longer herself, even with all her training as Risette, she couldn’t do what Naoto was doing right now.

“Naoto–kun, if... if you need anyone, I’ll be here, okay? And... Rise–chan is fine. You don’t have to be so formal. We’re friends... right? He’d want us to act like it...”

Naoto was relieved that Rise was being so strong and, in a small way, helping her carry the burden of what she had to do.

“... Thank you. You’re right, of course, Rise... Rise–chan.” Her words, although quiet, were genuine. She was truly grateful for Rise’s support. “I... I will talk to you later.”

With that, Naoto hung up. All that was left... was Kanji–kun, the most volatile of the bunch. She was certain he would be the hardest to tell... thus, Naoto began dialing his number next, heart heavy. Kanji was presently fast asleep, sprawled out on his bed snoring. It took at least four calls to wake him, and when he finally woke up and managed to get his vision adjusted to where he could see the caller ID, Kanji became slightly flustered. ... Why would Naoto be calling him at this hour... w–what was going on? ... Did she have something special to tell him? No, no no no, that’s stupid—it was probably something about the case. Clumsily, Kanji answered his phone, voice slow and groggy, but he tried to sound casual regardless.

“Y–yo, what’s up, Naoto?” ... Wow, he figured he sounded stupid, that wouldn’t work... too late to take it back, though.

“Kanji–kun, I... am afraid I am calling you with bad news.” As he was the last call Naoto had to make, it made saying this a little bit easier than before, but it was still difficult. Still painful. Still oddly... surreal.

“... Oh.” Kanji felt a little disappointed, somehow, but quickly tried to get over it. “What’s up?” It came out a little sleepy, sounded more like a mashed together ‘whassup’ than what he meant.

“I... discovered another victim.” Easy, Naoto. She could do this... “I’m... I’m sorry. But... it was Souji–senpai.”

For a whole minute, Kanji had to let this sink in. Another victim... their senpai... their leader... nope. Noooope. He wouldn’t believe it. It had to be BS.

“Yeah, real funny Naoto. What the hell’s the big idea? Who put you up to this?”

Naoto let out a long–suffering sigh from her end of the line.

“I can assure you, Kanji–kun, that no one put me up to anything. I... I found him in my TV antenna, like the first two victims. The killer has struck again.”

It was finally sinking in with the heavy weight Naoto’s words had that she wasn’t joking with him. Kanji fell silent... and then, abruptly, there was a loud, almost guttural scream on his end of the phone. Naoto had to hold it away from her ear, it was so loud. He sounded like an injured animal.

“... _Dammit_..!” There was the sound of a table being pounded on, and Kanji cursing some more. “You gotta be shitting me! How th’hell did this happen?! Dammit... I KNEW we should’ve pushed him in! That rotten...”

Naoto sounded hurt and exasperated on her end, and she was trying. As she suspected, Kanji dealt with his grief by being angry. This was going to be difficult, but if she spoke about it from an analytical standpoint, it made things just a small amount easier for her.

“... Taro Namatame was transferred out of here. I... am certain he was not involved in this. This time, it was... it was the real perpetrator, whomever he may be. After all, you were there when we questioned him just the other day, were you not? He was trying to help the victims, not hurt them.”

It hurt to say it, but if she focused on it like any case, Naoto could push the pain out of her mind and focus on trying to figure out who did it. Kanji, on his end, was muttering obscenities and banging things around. Eventually, his mother could be heard in the background, but Naoto couldn’t make out what was said, except for Kanji telling her to go back to bed, and eventually, finally calming down, Kanji flopped back down on his bed noisily. There was a long, awkward silence.

“... Y’sure it was Souji–senpai, Naoto?”

“How I wish I was not...” The lump in her throat was threatening to overtake her again, and Naoto shook her head in an attempt to shake the urge to sob out of her mind. “I’m sorry. But... I saw his body myself. There’s... no mistaking it.”

He couldn’t understand it. Why the hell would Souji be the next victim...? It didn’t make any sense, unless...

“D’you think... Senpai figured something out we don’t know and the killer threw him in because of it?”

Naoto was surprised: this was exactly her own theory, after all. Kanji was oftentimes far smarter than he looked, and really, it was his own actions that made him look like an idiot.

“... I am presently working with this assumption... I...” After a pause, Naoto sighed again. “Kanji–kun, I feel... responsible, somehow... do you think you could come down to the crime scene with me...? Yosuke–senpai will be here any minute, but...”

The unsaid was that she didn’t want to be alone, and that she felt... insecure. Unsafe. If Kanji was there, she’d... feel just a little safer.

“... Yeah. Gimmie a minute. I’ll be there. I won’t let that bastard get you, too, Naoto. Don’t you worry, alright? We’re gonna figure this out.”

It was easier for him to say that with someone to protect. And he had to protect her. It was easier than dealing with... thinking about how he’d never be able to thank his senpai for not finding him weird, and for believing in him. With that, Kanji hung up, putting his head in his hands. It hurt, dammit. It hurt really bad. He wanted to beat the shit out of whoever did this, but how could he when they didn’t even know the guy responsible...? Besides, Naoto... Naoto must be hurting. He had to go help her. Protect her. The killer would probably be after her next. So with one more punch to his pillow, Kanji began rummaging around his room to get dressed. Soon after, Yosuke would arrive at the scene, and he’d arrive about a minute later. The three of them would discuss what they could, and Naoto would throw herself into trying to find leads at the scene. Of course, by the time they got there, his body had been taken away for autopsy, but... it still hurt. To know this was the last time they’d ever see him...

* * *

_Amagi Inn, a little while later..._

Once they were sure there was nothing else they could do, the three of them began walking toward the Amagi Inn. Yukiko answered the door, ushering them inside, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She forced a smile, and made some tea for everyone while they talked. Not too long after they arrived, Rise also showed up, eyes red as well, smiling sadly.

“... It’s... hard to believe, isn’t it? If I hadn’t been by your house, Naoto, I never would’ve thought it was true...” She said, taking the tea Yukiko just prepared her before sitting down around the table with everyone else. “I’ve decided, I... I’m gonna do all I can for Senpai’s sake. We’ve gotta avenge him.”

Everyone nodded, their hearts united. The Investigation Team... would not let his death go unpunished.

“That guy’s gonna rot in jail for what he did.” Kanji said gruffly.

“... Yeah. The killer slipped up this time, I bet. He’ll lead us right to him.” Yosuke was wearing a grim sort of determination... normally, he was the one to joke, but... then was definitely not the time to be joking. He hated it, though. He hated how it was Saki–senpai all over again. He couldn’t even do anything about that, either... and the same person did it. It made him sick to his stomach to know the same person killed two of the most important people in his life, now. Two people that he’d never see again...

Naoto, trying to keep her own mind off all of this, was thinking about things from a detective’s perspective.

“From what I can tell, he went down fighting. The preliminary coroner’s report said that he... had blunt force trauma to his head, but that wasn’t what killed him. It was only a minor bump, enough to make someone see stars, perhaps, but not kill. The scratches on his clothing were also non–lethal... he must have died in the other world. I am certain this time wasn’t like with Mitsuo Kubo.”

Finished her piece, Naoto took a sip of the tea, grateful for it. It helped her sore throat. After a long moment of silence, Kanji finally spoke.

“Hey... so it’s someone in Inaba... right?” Everyone nodded to him.

“Yes,” Naoto began, setting her cup on the table. “I am certain the killer is someone who lives in this town. They would need to have been strong enough to overpower him and get him into the TV... Senpai played basketball, after all, and he was physically in good shape. I doubt it was easy.”

Rise looked unsettled at Naoto’s remark.

“This is scary... to think we could be going to school with someone who killed three people...” She forced herself to take a small sip of her own tea, if only to try and calm her nerves. All of them were emotionally exhausted, and hell bent on doing all they could.

“... We’ll catch him.” Yukiko said. The conviction in her voice surprised everyone; she had a kind of grim determination in her eyes that none of them had ever seen before. “We have to... for Souji–kun’s sake. And for the sake of everyone living here.”

“Yukiko–san’s right. ... Man, where the hell could that stupid bear be, anyway? We really have to find him. I bet Ted would know what went on in the other world while Partner was in there...” After a moment, Yosuke sighs. “I don’t suppose any of you heard from him? I’m getting nervous.”

Everyone looked down.

“... I know what you mean,” Rise began. “I’m scared any one of us could be next... I hope he’s okay...”

... This wasn’t really getting them anywhere. Naoto took a moment to consider what she was going to say before speaking up.

“In any event... everyone should rest and regroup later today. We’ll scan the other world and see if we can find any clues... none of us are in the right mindset right now, anyway. This is far too personal for us, and we’d make mistakes if we tried too much without proper rest...”

Kanji turned to look at her.

“Yeah? What about you? You haven’t even slept. Weren’t you at the precinct all day or somethin’?”

Naoto was taken aback by his remark, flustered.

“W–well, I... I need to remain with the police so I can get any details on the case we don’t already have.”

_‘When I think about it, though... I realize, in my own way, I was running away from this. I didn’t want to go to sleep. I think... I may have been afraid of dreaming of Senpai, and I wasn’t certain I would be able to keep myself together if I did. Throwing myself into my work... I was never very good with my emotions. It was how I decided to cope with it... and Kanji’s words, although sensible, weren’t what I wanted to hear. I wanted to do all I could to help catch the person who killed him...’_

“... You can all stay at the inn tonight, if you’d like.” Yukiko tried to smile, though it fell a bit flat. “I’m sure the media’ll be swarming us soon, but... for now, everyone will understand.”

Naoto and Rise looked down quietly. Yosuke and Kanji seemed fine with it, at least.

“Tch... yeah, I don’t really wanna go back home. Thanks, Yukiko–senpai.” Kanji gave her a small, appreciative smile. “But what’re you gonna do, Naoto? You’re probably gonna be followed by the media.”

“Naoto–kun can stay with me. The shop’s got locks and everything and we’re pretty out of the way. For now, at least.”

Naoto gave Rise a small smile. She was truly glad that they were all here for her...

“... I’m going to go to the precinct for now. But I will be certain to take you up on your offer when I return, Rise...” She paused, unsure how to address Rise. Having always been rather formal, for Naoto, it was odd to call someone that way, even though they were in the same year. “... Rise–chan.”

Rise gave her a rare smile in return. It was going to be hard to smile from now on, it seemed. After all, their smiles had been stolen from them when Souji died. Whatever they were going to do... they would have to do it. Naoto supposed a private viewing would be held soon... it wouldn’t take them long to process his body and the little evidence that was there. For all that was going on, to have the others there... it made life just a little easier, even if it hurt.


	8. » The Second Reload « Aim true. Blast the falsehoods.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto Shirogane is slowly becoming the one tying everyone together, but it’s a difficult job, even for someone trained and used to death. The hardest thing? Telling the family... but in its own way, the end of one bond causes the creation of others...
> 
> All they can do is vow to bring Souji’s killer to justice, but they hardly realize, at this point, that justice is, indeed, missing its mark entirely.
> 
> After all, the killer was a close friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really have no notes to add, except maybe, “ow my heart.”
> 
> This is a sad chapter. More Room shenanigans will be forthcoming, but we’ll be focusing on the IT and Naoto for a little while.

* * *

_December 7th, Inaba Municipal Hospital, early morning..._

“No!”

Ryōtaro Dojima’s voice could be heard all the way from the hospital hallway.

“God dammit, no!! I almost lost Nanako, and now... and now you’re telling me...” He got out of bed, taking the IV pole with him. He’d decided: he was going to go there. He wouldn’t believe it...

“... I need to go there.”

The doctor and nurse began to speak out, concerned, trying to convince him to lay back down before he hurt himself worse. ... AGAIN. Like he nearly had with Namatame...

“B–but Dojima–san, you are nowhere near healed or ready for active duty again...” The doctor stammered.

“Sir, your injuries are... extensive... it’ll be weeks before—” But Dojima cut the nurse off, ripping his own IV out and standing up as straight as he could, throwing an arm out in anger.

“ _TAKE ME THERE, DAMMIT!_ ”

Soon, the officer on duty, the nurse, and Adachi were struggling with keeping him from leaving. Naoto herself wasn’t in the room, and it was only now, having heard the commotion outside, that she came running in.

“What is—Dojima–san?!” She said, panicked. Soon, she, too, was trying her best to help hold Dojima back from breaking loose and running all the way to the crime scene. ... Her own home. Despite their efforts, Dojima was pushing against them and they were sliding. Grunting, Naoto used all the force her small frame could muster, pushing him back, finally, but Dojima wouldn’t give in. It took effort on the part of all of them to force him back; in an odd way, she had to give him credit: he was tough. How she cursed her small build...

“D–Dojima–san, please... injuring... yourself... further...” Wiping her forehead, she went on. “Will not bring him back...” Naoto finished quickly, struggling to keep him in place. The effort was tremendous. Dojima was a determined man when it came to the things most important to him: his family.

“Don’t... tell me... what to do!” He gave one last push against all of them, but his injured body gave out, and he bent over in pain.

“I... I... nghh...”

His face contorted into a grimace; he’d torn a couple stitches.

“Dojima–san... look, you’ve torn your stitches—” Adachi said, panicking just slightly.

Even though he was leaning on one of the nurses and Naoto, Dojima still gestured and shouted angrily. That he had so much energy was... somewhat astounding.

“Shut up! What the hell do you know?” He glared at everyone, trying to throw them off, but too weak to do so now. All his energy seemed to have begun leaving him. “He... he’s as good as my _son_...”

And just like that, he deflated, the doctor on call bringing a chair for him to sit in over and he flopped down into it with a small grunt, face contorted into pain. The pain of a grieving uncle... a parent... trying to get through his own denial. One wanting to do something about someone he cared for, but unable to do a single thing. He felt powerless, and was trying to fix it. Naoto’s heart truly went out to him—herself, she was in much the same state when she discovered his body... as she and the nurse released him, she exhaled, looking downward, glad he had finally sat down. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could take holding him back, truthfully.

“Dammit...” Dojima then just stared at his feet. “What kind of detective am I... if I can’t even catch the guy who did this...? No—what kind of _father_... uncle am I...?”

Adachi glanced down, and Naoto noted that it looked like he was trying to hide his face. ... It... struck her as odd, but at this moment, she refrained from commenting. She was more concerned with Souji’s uncle. Her former coworker. Someone who needed her support more than anyone else. She was certain he, too, was grief–stricken and probably just trying to hide his own tears, much how she tried to hide behind her hat.

“... Dojima–san...” Adachi said quietly, finally looking up, his expression solemn. “We’re doing everything we can to get the guy... reopening your injuries isn’t gonna bring Seta–kun back... y’know?”

Naoto, for once, agreed with the loose lips idiot detective.

“... He’s right. Senpai... would not have wanted you to do this...”

Dojima ran his hands over his hair, shaking just slightly. He was a strong man, but losing Nanako once and now losing someone who had somehow become literal family to him, damn near a son of his own, had shaken him to the very core. He hadn’t felt tears since Chisato’s funeral, and for once in his life, he was struggling to hold them back. He was more emotional than he’d been in... years. His voice was hoarse and quiet from swallowing his emotions.

“Shirogane... then you tell me: what ’m I supposed to do... what... will I tell his parents...?”

“... The truth.”

He couldn’t face Naoto and Adachi.

“The truth? That it’s MY fault their son’s lying strung up in someone’s TV antenna?!” He said, snapping. After a moment, he looked taken aback, and bit his lip. “... Sorry, Shirogane. I know they... found him in yours.”

Naoto wasn’t bothered. After all, she had already dealt with the rest of her friends. She wasn’t made of glass. Although it pained her, she understood how he felt. She, initially, blamed herself, as well.

“Blaming yourself won’t change what happened. It’s too late to do that... survivor’s guilt will not get us anywhere productive,” she said, sighing. “Although, to be truthful... I quite understand how you feel.”

After a moment, she stepped closer to him, hovering with uncertainty. She was... bad with emotions, so this was never her field of expertise. Solving cases was one thing, but helping grieving family... well. That was... not the job she was cut out for. She was better at hiding her emotions than dealing with them, after all. After a long silence, Dojima finally managed to look over at Naoto.

“Do you? Do you really understand? You’re just a kid...” His tone wasn’t one of anger anymore, but rather... the tone of a man who held too much weight on his own shoulders. Naoto’s entire body tensed slightly despite herself: she hated being referred to that way, even... even if her own Shadow had taught her it was, unfortunately, true.

“... Perhaps I am a child,” she began. “But I lost both my parents in a car accident at a young age. I was... I can’t blame anyone for what happened. Though I desperately wish I could have them back, I will never see them again...”

She looked downward, unable to continue the sentence. She was... she was terrified Souji would end up like her parents, now. She barely remembered the color of their eyes, the warmth of their embrace, or the sounds of their voices... would he, too, become a faded memory...? Dojima decided to finally speak what was bothering him, truthfully. If anyone could understand, one of his friends might.

“He... he showed me what was most important in my life...” He said, forcing a small smile out of barely contained upset. “Hah... I’d been running away all that time, after Chisato’s killer... my wife, back when Nanako was a kid. Some unknown murdered her in a hit and run years ago, and now... it’s happening all over again... and I can’t do ANYTHING about it... just like... back then...!”

As he finished, Dojima wrung his hands over his hospital gown, clenching them into tight fists, the cloth gripped angrily as he shook. He let out a long, angry noise of pain, punching the nearby bed as he then, all of a sudden, stood up over it, the nurse and the doctor gasping as he did so. His voice was punctuated by a second pounding of the bed.

“ _Why_?” He said, punching the mattress. “Why did it have to be him?!”

As he slowly bent over the bed, shakily slamming his fist into it and crossing his arms on the sheets, he could feel tears coming to his eyes.

“Dammit, I told him not to get involved! I _told_ him to leave it alone...!” With that outburst, Dojima quietly collapsed onto the floor, the top half of his body on the bed, and he sobbed in a pained, loud, angry sort of way. For the first time in many years, his hardened heart had finally been broken through... in the same way Souji had somehow wormed his way through the little cracks in his heart’s armor, the pain of losing him now tore it apart as though it was made of wet paper. Watching this, Naoto pulled her hat down as far over her head as she could, sympathizing more than she could even articulate, at this point. ... Not even the doctor or nurse dared to approach Dojima despite his injuries, but after a minute or two, as awkward as she had been emotionally, Naoto... slowly stepped toward her senior officer and... placed a hand gently on one of his arms.

“... Dojima–san...” She began. “In... the short amount of time that I knew him, Souji–senpai did more for me than I can possibly tell you.”

Dojima quieted down, but he didn’t turn to look at her. Naoto continued despite this.

“It... infuriated me that he was able to see through me so easily,” She admitted. “And yet... he taught me why I decided to take up my parent’s heritage as detectives, before they died...” Surely, if anyone would understand, she knew Dojima would. With a small squeeze, she looked at him pleadingly.

“... Please, I am begging you. We... we will catch his killer. You must rest... neither of us would want you to harm yourself like this, and I rather doubt your wife would, either.” She finished, feeling awkward. This kind of thing... it was more Souji’s territory. But for his sake, for his uncle’s sake, she had to try.

After a moment, Dojima coughed, pained, but looked up to Naoto with... something like gruff respect. That kid understood. In Dojima’s mind, he’d (Dojima was unaware of Naoto’s true gender) lost his parents, which made him a lot like Nanako... and in the end, although he was an upstart brat with too many ideas acting too superior, he was one who was right. One who he should’ve fought side–by–side with to help on the investigation. One who he could’ve argued for with the higher–ups. Sent by the prefectural police or not, Naoto was someone who cared as much as he himself did. Maybe if he had helped the kid, Souji would be alive. This was his fault... he wouldn’t let the same mistake happen a second time. After he wiped his eyes from the short outburst, he grabbed the young detective’s hand. Then, Naoto helped him back to his feet, and the nurse rushed over to help him back into bed. He tried to suppress another coughing fit shakily as he laid down. Relieved, Naoto allowed a hand to fall to her hip as usual, and turned back to Dojima, who beckoned her over. He... wanted to talk to her alone, it seemed.

“Adachi...”

And just like that, Adachi snapped out of his gloomy stupor and stood up to look at Dojima.

“Take the others and get out.”

The doctor looked like he was going to protest, but Dojima shook his head.

“Five minutes, that’s all I’m asking.”

... Feeling sorry for him, given his loss, the doctor nodded and escorted everyone else out of the room, shutting the door. This left just Dojima and Naoto, alone.

“... Shirogane... you’re the only one I can trust now.” As he looked at her, she found herself unable to look away. She knew that gaze. It was one she had wore when she told Souji and his friends about the true culprit... when she decided her last–ditch effort would be to get herself kidnapped.

“... Please. Catch the guy that did this. To my daughter... to the other victims, and my nephew. He... he was a good kid. Good grades, made friends fast... he... didn’t deserve to die.”

As he coughed again, Naoto tried to help steady him by grabbing his shoulders, and he shook his head.

“Dojima–san, you—”

“... ’m not done yet,” he managed to slowly choke out. “Lemme... lemme finish.”

Naoto quietly nodded, letting go of his shoulders.

“... Of course.”

Dojima looked down at his own hands, holding them up.

“I’ve been at this job for longer than you’ve been alive... heh.” He said, chuckling quietly with disappointment in himself. “Helluva job I did. Should... should’ve listened to you. To my own instinct... not the higher–ups... you were right all along. S’funny, I thought you were just a brat kid full of himself.”

Although Dojima was smiling, it was pained, forced. Naoto knew that smile well. She’d worn it many times herself. 

“... You know more about this case than I do. I... don’t know how the hell you kids figured it out, or what all of it means, but... you’re the only ones... I can count on now. So I’m gonna ask you, like I asked him... with Nanako.”

He finally conceded to lay back on his pillows, and Naoto grasped his hand. He was tired. Exhausted, really... even laying back, he wouldn’t close his eyes just yet. He looked over, up at Naoto, and squeezed the younger detective’s hand.

“... Find the son of a bitch. Make ’em pay... I... don’t want his death to be like Chisato’s.” Naoto started to protest, because the small niggling voice in her mind, the one her Shadow was born from, was telling her she wasn’t cut out for this request. But Dojima held up his other hand, cutting her off before she could speak.

“... And don’t gimmie that look. I know you know about me, about this.” He paused to smile a little more genuinely, now, and Naoto’s eyes widened. “I saw you snoopin’.”

... She, too, conceded to a small smile, and sighed.

“I had to look at everyone in Inaba... after all, anyone could have been the culprit, and I needed to make a profile for the murderer. Truth be told, it was my desire to help you once this case was finished, after I got to know Senpai... and I discovered the file.”

Dojima gave a small, forced chuckle, but it turned into a cough, which he managed to suppress for the moment.

“Y... y’little brat. Think you know everything...”

Despite his words, Naoto could tell it was out of fondness, not disdain, that he said this. It was certainly a change from when they’d first met... despite being rough around the edges, much like herself, Dojima was ultimately a good person.

“... Well... that’s it. ’m countin’ on you. Go get this son of a bitch.”

Naoto nodded, silent.

“I assure you, we _will_ find the culprit behind these murders.” There was conviction in her gaze, and Dojima knew right then he was asking the right person. “And we will avenge him... by making sure he pays for his crimes in full.”

Dojima closed his eyes.

“Bugs the hell outta me that I can’t be on the front lines with you... well, good luck.”

With that, Dojima managed a small smile as he let go of Naoto’s hand before another coughing spell hit. The doctor came rushing back in upon hearing it, and shooed every non–medical staff person out of his room. Outside, Naoto was left with more determination she’d had than... in a long time. For his sake, for Nanako’s sake... she would avenge him. The senpai who infuriated her, loved her, laughed and helped her accept who she was... who was so many different things, whom she was certain she, too, loved... she would find out who did it. But, first... there were funeral arrangements that had to be planned, phone calls to make. Thanks to her connections, it wasn’t really an issue to arrange a private viewing so quickly, but... it still hurt, knowing this would be the last she ever saw of him. She... would make sure to pick out a good picture of him. One of him smiling. She was certain he would rather be remembered for how he was, than what happened.

_‘Unfortunately, I did not fully understand what Dojima–san was asking of me, or what doing so entailed. ... In the end, I would find myself entrenched in far more than I originally anticipated, time and time again... I suppose a detective’s work is never done. Taking up the mantle he left... was a huge responsibility. And this was, truly, only the beginning of my added responsibilities on top of everything else...’_

* * *

_Private viewing, December 8th, late afternoon..._

Everyone was gathered around his casket. On top, a picture frame of Souji smiling the rare smile that had always been so... infectious, somehow. When he was happy, inexplicably, they, too, were happy. To see so many different people, from school, from his part–time jobs, of all ages here... it was amazing. He had stolen so many hearts... and it seemed he wasn’t going to give them back. It would be difficult to, after all, now that he was...

No.

She didn’t want to think of that.

For the most part, Naoto stood a little... away from the rest of them. Dojima was there despite his injuries—he’d insisted on going and had been VERY careful coming here, a doctor assisting him, but he’d be damned if he’d miss his nephew’s viewing. Everyone was... grieving in their own way. Souji’s parents had flown in from overseas on short notice, and it was something else to see, really. Naoto recognized her own friends, of course: the Investigation Team. Chie, Yukiko, Yosuke, Kanji, Rise... all but Teddie. They’d tried to find him, but no one was able. There were a lot of faces she recognized from the town or school... Kou Ichijo and Daisuke Nagase from the various sports teams (basketball and soccer, if she recalled right), Yumi Ozawa from the drama club, Naoki Konishi (she didn’t know him personally), Ai Ebihara (who had quite a reputation for skipping classes, but otherwise, she knew nothing), and if she wasn’t mistaken, there were quite a few close friends of his she had never met. A nurse named Sayoko Uehara, an older woman named Hisano Kuroda, a young mother named Eri Minami and who appeared to be her son, heck, she was certain even the fox from the shrine was there, along with who else but Tohru Adachi, face solemn. As Naoto tried to burn the photograph of Souji smiling into her mind, she listened to the snatches of conversation around her:

“Man, I can’t believe this is happening...” Kou and Daisuke were standing together, staring at the casket.

“... Me either. Hard to believe he only just moved here, heh. Well, we’re just gonna have to do our best, like he’d want, right?”

Kou nodded quietly, his expression downcast. She turned to glance over to Chie, who was... clinging to Yukiko. Yukiko was entirely silent and... hadn’t said a word the entire time. Naoto recognized the feeling, as she herself was... feeling much the same. All Yukiko could wonder was how this had happened. It was all anyone there could wonder, really. Chie gave Yukiko a hug and kept an arm around her, giving her hand a tight squeeze. She was admiring his picture, much as Naoto was. Eventually, she looked downward. Naoto could hear snatches of her conversation with Yukiko:

“... If I hadn’t told him about the stupid Midnight Channel, maybe he’d still be alive...”

At her words, Yukiko shook her head. They both had eyes full of tears. Yukiko’s voice was barely audible. ... It was the last time any of them would ever see that smile, and it hurt her all the more. Even so, she couldn’t allow Chie to do this to herself.

“Chie, no... no, it’s...” She shakily took a breath, sniffing. “He wouldn’t want you to blame yourself...”

Chie sighed.

“Of course he wouldn’t, I know that... that’s just the kind of guy he is, huh?” Not was. Chie... still was in the denial phase and didn’t really want to believe he was _dead_.

“It’s just, I keep going over this year in my head, and no matter how I look at it, he’d... still be alive if I never brought the whole thing up...” Her entire body sagged, and she clung to Yukiko a little bit more. “I should’ve just listened to Yosuke when he said it was childish.”

She paused for a moment, before saying with more cheer than she felt, “Geez, look what you’ve done, Souji–kun! I’m listening to Yosuke now!”

Yukiko remained silent for a moment, before quietly answering.

“... If... you didn’t, we wouldn’t have met the others, or... even saved them...”

She couldn’t even force a smile. The one who’d done so much for her, dead... for her part, Chie’s small smile didn’t really meet her eyes.

“... Guess not, huh?”

Naoto glanced away, unable to bear continuing to listen to the two of them, her own head hung low as the tears fell. Trying to distract herself desperately, she looked around and wandered a bit, finding Rise. As bad as Naoto felt, Rise looked ten times worse. She was crying her eyes out, hiccupping, shoulders shaking, sitting on a chair, a box of tissues in her lap as she stared at his picture. She just... couldn’t believe it was real. It couldn’t be happening... Naoto wasn’t able to approach her, herself. Not yet. What could she even say? She knew Rise loved him, just... as she herself had grown to love him so quickly. To her surprise, Adachi approached Rise before she did.

“Hey... Rise—Kujikawa–san.” He paused, awkward, standing nearby. He glanced down. “I didn’t expect that you and Seta–kun would have been this close. He... really did have a way of endearing himself to people, didn’t he? I’m sorry that all this happened.”

It took Rise a long while to answer him. Even as she managed to somewhat calm down, seeing the casket out of the corner of her eye set off fresh flood of tears and pain.

“A–Adachi... san...”

Rise sniffed, wiping her eyes. She just couldn’t completely compose herself, no matter how hard she tried.

“H–he... He’s done so much for all of us...” She said, swallowing. “I–I’d be lost without him...” There was a quiet sniffle from the young red head. “Wh–who would do something like this...?”

Adachi looked taken aback, and he frowned.

“He was a very helpful person. I almost can’t believe this would happen to a nice kid like him...” He looked to be deep in thought. “... I don’t know. Maybe... it wasn’t anything directed at him personally. He was Dojima–san’s nephew, and he got involved in the case, so...”

Rise looked up at him, getting upset.

“Th–the case?” It wasn’t right. Why Souji? Why her senpai? All he ever did was HELP people, save them... this wasn’t right—! “But why him...! He wasn’t the only one that’s been involved! The whole police department has been trying to find the murderer... i–it’s not fair!” She finished, yelling.

Adachi attempted to think of the answer, tilting his head.

“Well, I... maybe he was involved a little too much. He knew both Dojima–san and Shirogane–san, and they were making big advances toward solving the case...” And after a moment, Adachi sighed, looking downward. “I almost wish that the first two arrests weren’t false leads. If one of them had been the actual killer, then Seta–kun would still be here...”

If Naoto was hurt by the accusation she overheard, it was nothing to Rise’s anger at Adachi. She stood up, then, the box of tissues falling to the grass below their feet.

“How can you say that...?!” She said, balling her fists up and stomping her foot. No no no no no, Naoto and Dojima had already lost her senpai as well and this wasn’t fair! He was such an IDIOT! “Maybe you should’ve been doing a better job! You were the ones that arrested those two—if you had done your job RIGHT, maybe Senpai would still be here!!”

Rise finished, deflating slightly as a fresh wave of tears came to her eyes. She was angry, and Adachi was there. Really, it wasn’t his fault. Naoto... felt bad for him. She knew he was a friend of the Dojimas as well—his expression falls downward further as Rise yells.

“... Sorry. You’re right. It... is my fault.” He paused. “... Seta–kun was someone close to me as well, Kujikawa–san. I should have worked harder, I should have followed more leads...”

His head hung lower still, and Naoto had to sneak closer to even attempt hearing the whisper he let out next. Although she couldn’t make it out, Rise pulled back, startled.

“You... you _saw_ him?!”

Her loud yelling told Naoto exactly what Adachi had just said, at least. ... He had seen Souji prior to his death...? The last ANY of them had seen him was two days before he turned up, at school. This was of great interest to her. Maybe it was her grief–stricken mind, maybe she wanted her mind off the corpse right in front of them all... she didn’t know. But she did know she promised Dojima she would catch his murderer. She briefly glanced over to the man, who was looking grim, sitting in a chair with his head in his hands, silent, before she looked back to Rise and Adachi.

“What happened? Was he okay? Where did he go?!” Rise said, staring at Adachi expectantly. “P–please, you... you have to tell me...!” This time, Naoto refused to not hear whatever Adachi would say—she walked nearby, past the two of them, and sat down in a nearby seat, ready to record everything she heard in her own mind.

“I—well...” Adachi seemed startled. After a moment, he looked up, trying to remember. “It... was like any other night we spent together. We talked a bit about mine and Dojima–san’s work, and about Seta–kun’s time at school, and about Nanako–chan’s miracle recovery—man, I’m so glad she didn’t die, too...” Adachi said, getting off–track. Rise planted her hands on her hips, glaring, and he made a gesture of defense.

“O–oh, sorry! Right... well, I... think I remember hearing him talk about a party. Y’know, that he would get his friends, so you could all celebrate her recovery and her coming home in a few days?”

Rise looked at Adachi expectantly.

“... AND?”

Adachi paled under Rise’s... oddly forceful demeanor.

“... And after that, he had some more insights to share on the current case. Unfortunately, it was too long ago to know anything about how the criminal might have been connected to him. All I know... is that he didn’t seem to think he was in any danger of losing his life, and he didn’t seem to be troubled by any secrets, or anything like that. ... He just acted like he always did.”

Adachi sighed.

“... I would have told him how much he meant to all of us if I knew this day would come... I’m sorry.”

After a moment, Naoto watched Rise visibly deflate, staring at the ground. To think, they were going to celebrate, and now... this had happened.

“... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you; I didn’t know you two were close...”

Adachi shook his head.

“Well, I’m Dojima–san’s partner. Seeing each other almost daily... it was kind’ve inevitable. But it was still a fairly casual relationship. I mean, we’re friends, but we weren’t as close as you guys.”

For some reason, Naoto sensed... something off about all this. She wasn’t sure what it was, though.

“We’re... all upset here. It’s okay.”

_‘In truth, part of me has to concede I was not what you might call in peak mental form the days after discovering Senpai’s body. ... Especially during the funeral. After all, his death was... difficult on all of us, and it would be foolish of me to attempt to lie and say I was perfectly fine. I am, after all, as human as the next person, even if I try to harbor no emotions on a case, this one had always been personal; now, even more than ever... how I miss his smile... his greetings in the morning... it hurts to know that I will never hear him call me like that again. That... we will never be able to spend Christmas together, even once. ... I swore I would avenge him, and truly, I meant it. For all of our sakes.’_

Rise sniffed slightly, taking a handkerchief out of her pocket and using it to wipe her face. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, and her eyes were red and puffy.

“... You seem to be holding up pretty well, a–at least... I–I must look awful, haha...”

An awkward silence fell between the two of them, and I saw Adachi eventually give her a hug of comfort. In a time like this, comfort was hard to find, and even odd people might find commonalities with each other...

“S–senpai...” Rise managed to quietly squeeze out, clinging to Adachi with a small sob. The conversation deteriorated past this; Naoto couldn’t take thinking about it anymore and, thus, she moved on. It... was odd, to see Kanji so emotional. But she knew he wasn’t impervious to pain, and thus, she approached him, next.

“Kanji–kun...”

He looked like he was fighting to hold back tears, silent. She was much in the same position, though she’d... already failed somewhat when the service began.

“... H–hey, Naoto...” He looked away, unable to face her like this. Seeing her so hurt... he couldn’t punch the asshole responsible right there and now; couldn’t protect her... damn, he hated this. “How... how you holdin’ up?”

He knew it was a useless question, but... it was better than awkward silence. Naoto made a small noncommittal noise in reply.

“Mm,” Naoto said, quiet. “I... am alive, and grateful for it. ... It’s only thanks to all of you I can even say that I am...”

She glanced downward as well, hand on her hip.

“... Yeah, same here. Senpai... saved all of us, huh?” Kanji replied, looking over at his picture on the coffin. “... From ourselves...”

Naoto looked exhausted. She had hardly slept since finding the body. She had been unable to properly grieve as all of them had. He realized, given their situation, he no longer gave a single shit about what he did, who saw, or how this sort of thing with a girl worked. He just looked down at Naoto, hesitated for only three seconds, and then... Kanji placed his hands on her shoulders. He swallowed the lump in his own throat, and forced his voice to obey him.

“... Hey, Naoto,” he said again, “... S’okay to cry, y’know.”

She looked up at him, trembling. Vulnerable. Naoto... was really unable to keep her composure anymore. After days of pain, after discovering his body, talking to Dojima, the phone calls, being interrogated at the station and talking to those there... the so–called great ‘detective prince’ who was unrattled most of the time finally fell apart. Naoto began quietly crying, finally given permission to no longer need to be the one strong for everyone else. Kanji was shocked by his own actions and paused for a full twenty–five seconds while he attempted to figure out what to do with himself, before he... settled on grabbing her with one arm, wrapped himself around her, and pulled the small detective and fellow first year into a hug. For a long moment, Naoto sobbed into his chest, grateful for the comfort, for the permission, for his protection. She returned the hug, unable to bring herself to care any further about who saw. Right then, it wouldn’t even matter to her if the entire media watched. As far as she was concerned, in that moment, it was only her and Kanji, two very hurt friends missing their senpai.

... It took her a long time to calm down. But when she finally did, Naoto did not let go. Kanji’s warm body, feeling him breathing, feeling his heartbeat, her head against his chest—why was he so damn _tall_ —it told her... he was still alive. That she wasn’t going to lose him, too. She was immensely grateful for this, and after what seemed like ages, she finally stopped clinging to him, clearing her throat.

“R... right... I–I–I should... talk to the others...” She stammered, feeling the delayed embarrassment finally set in. Kanji looked away, slightly embarrassed himself.

“... Y–yeah... ’s no problem or anything, really!” He said, a little louder than he meant to. “I mean, I’ll... be here if you need me, yeah?”

He TRIED to sound casual, but it was obviously forced. Kanji had already grieved his own way, and every person did so different. He’d probably break down alone after the funeral, but for now... for now, what mattered was being strong for Naoto.

“... Yes, o–of course. ... Thank you, Kanji–kun.” Naoto said, before quietly walking away. With that finally out of her system, although it still hurt... she felt... lighter.

Once she left Kanji, looking around (Yukiko and Rise were talking, now), she realized something critical she’d missed before. She wiped her eyes and glanced around, searching for one of the smallest of their lot, and...

—Aha! Nanako. She was... hiding, away from everyone else, her expression gloomy. But then, this was hardly an auspicious occasion. She wasn’t even clinging to her father or the others. Naoto knew that expression... it was the same one she herself had worn at her own parents’ funeral. She couldn’t hide behind her hat right now, and Nanako couldn’t hide very well, either, but she was off to the side, just... staring at the picture of her older cousin. After a long moment, Naoto decided, as bad at being social as she was, she was going to do for Nanako what Kanji had just done for her... and what she desperately had wished she had been allowed all those years ago, when she stared at her parents’ coffins. Silently, she approached Nanako, who eventually turned to look at her, and... she gave the young girl a hug. Nanako shuddered, making a small noise, at first. Naoto worried she’d done the wrong thing, until the first grader clung back to her. Nanako had never seen Naoto be this generous in the entire (if brief) time she had known her, and although she remained stiff at first, realizing this was the sort of thing Naoto didn’t normally do and yet was doing for _her_ sake... it broke her, like Kanji telling Naoto herself it was okay not to be strong did. Slowly, Nanako wrapped her arms around the other girl, and began sobbing, getting her black tuxedo wet. But Naoto didn’t care—she cared about Nanako, who, she knew, may as well have lost a brother. First, her mother, and now Souji... it wasn’t fair, and Naoto decided she would be there.

After all, no one was there for her when her own parents died. She had her grandfather, but that wasn’t the same... no, Naoto was determined to do all she could for Nanako. They remained there for a long moment, clinging to each other. Eventually, Nanako calmed down enough to speak, but she didn’t let go of Naoto; she spoke into the young girl’s chest, quiet. Had they not been so close, Naoto herself may not have heard her.

“I want him back...”

Naoto cradled Nanako, petting her head. She’d seen others make this gesture, and... hoped it was a comforting one, as awkward as she was. Her voice was as soothing and understanding as she could make it. She didn’t even bothering lowering it as normal, not in this moment.

“I do, as well...”

After another long silence, Nanako finally detached herself from Naoto’s waist and looked up to her, eyes watery.

“I... is he in heaven...?”

The question... took her by surprise. Naoto had never been particularly religious, but... but she couldn’t possibly say it didn’t exist.

“... Yes, Nanako–chan. He was a good person. He couldn’t be anywhere else.”

She forced a smile. Nanako wasn’t able to smile back, but she nodded, silent. After a long moment, Adachi walked up to them.

“Nanako–chan... I promise Dojima–san and I will catch the person who did this for Seta–kun’s sake. ... Okay?”

Again, Nanako was unable to speak, so instead, she simply nodded, silent. He deserved to be caught, but it didn’t make the hole in her heart feel any less empty, and it didn’t make her feel happier by much. Naoto also remained quiet, sizing Adachi up. Adachi, for the most part, was entirely the opposite of threatening, here. Really, he was sighing mournfully, looking solemn.

“Seta–kun... he was a good kid. Though he was Dojima–san’s nephew and always getting involved with this case, I never thought it would come this far...”

After a moment, Adachi turned away from the both of them and commented only loud enough for them to hear:

“I wonder if it was _because_ of his relation to Dojima–san...”

Well, Naoto had had quite enough of this. She shook her head at Adachi, lowering her voice, putting as much authority into it as she could muster. Nanako clung to her again, frightened, remaining silent.

“... Adachi–san...” She said, narrowing her eyes. “While I am sure most of us could agree that you are trying to be comforting... I am quite certain Dojima–san at least informed you to _cease_ with the sharing of your own theories on pending investigations. Particularly with distraught familial relations.”

Which was a big way of saying: back off, you bonehead. Adachi, feeling a little bad, held a hand up.

“R–right, sorry... I forgot you and Seta–kun were close, huh, Shirogane–san? I guess I was just thinking out loud... you know, it’s a little hard for me to keep things to myself in a situation like this. It’s more personal than all the previous cases... you understand, right?”

He tried to smile, then. Naoto remained slightly off–put, and Nanako continued to cling to the older girl. As Adachi spoke, a faint sound escaped Nanako as she realized what he was saying. She clung harder to Naoto, then. Her father... responsible for her big brother’s death? Not intentionally, of course, but if her father had been getting close to solving the case... would that mean the person responsible would try to send a message? Is that what happened? Of course, Nanako was still a young girl and couldn’t entirely wrap her mind around everything, so the one thing she understood the most... was that Naoto was here, scolding Adachi for what he said. That, and that she couldn’t get it out of her mind. No, no... this couldn’t be real. It just... it just couldn’t... everything’d be fine, in the end! They’d all wake up and her big bro would come down from his room like always and help her make breakfast tomorrow morning, and her father would be grumbling about coffee and work and read the paper before he’d race out the door, and... and...

... A faint sob escaped Nanako before she could stop it, and she found herself letting out a choked crying noise. This was too much for the young girl... too much.

“S–stop...!” She said, trying to fight back the urge to sob again, even as she clung to Naoto. “D–don’t... I don’t want anyone here to fight...!”

Naoto was annoyed, and the gaze she gave Adachi above Nanako’s head was cold. Was he really that thick? He had NO RIGHT to bring any of this up, much less around Nanako. Her final words, of course, were merely a warning.

“... Please, try to remember to think before you speak, Adachi–san. It would do well for us all if you did.”

He didn’t know ANYTHING about how personal this was for her. It had never been a game, and it stopped being remotely close to one a long time ago. Even less so when she put herself out there to be abducted, when she faced her Shadow... still, she had to do something to appease Nanako, so Naoto tried to give her a smile. It... didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was upset.

“I apologize, Nanako–chan. I never meant to imply we were arguing.”

Adachi nodded, frowning, now.

“Yeah. ... Likewise. Sorry, Nanako–chan, Shirogane–san. I never meant to make it seem that way...”

He paused for a moment, and, somehow, Naoto felt... exhausted. Moreso than before.

“... You’re coming to the station, right...? I’ll do everything I can to help. But...” He hesitated. “Well, we should all be careful! Especially Nanako–chan, since she’s related to Dojima–san and Seta–kun, and all. Let’s all do the best we can to get this solved while Dojima–san recovers...”

Naoto gave a tired nod as Nanako latched onto her arm even harder, trying to hide her sobbing. She wanted to appear strong, but it was difficult. She just wanted her big brother back...

“Perhaps. I will try to be there later today. After all,” Naoto said, looking down to Nanako. “... I am needed here, for the moment. I... hope you understand.”

Something... wasn’t sitting right with her. She wasn’t sure what, or why, but for now, Naoto tried to disregard it. After all, she was tired and as upset as everyone else. She needed rest, and she wasn’t quite as sharp or quick of wit as she normally was. ... But then, was anyone, in a situation like this? Adachi gave a quiet nod.

“Of course... I’ll discuss things with Dojima–san later. You look after Nanako–chan, too, okay? I’ll stop by later to check up on her too.” He turned to Nanako. “Don’t worry! I’m a policeman, so I can handle anything that’ll happen, Nanako–chan.”

Nanako remained... unconvinced. She was trying, though, to cling to the last bit of sense left in her sheltered, tiny world. Her words were quiet, desperate:

“... Don’t... let him get away...”

Naoto nodded silently.

“... We will not let him escape. He will be brought to justice.”

Adachi made a small gesture with his hand. He’d normally be more cheery, but once again, the occasion wasn’t a great one to be even falsely cheery for. Nevertheless, he tried.

“I won’t let it just end like this. We’ll get him.”

And with that, Adachi walked away, leaving Naoto and Nanako on their own. The funeral continued for awhile longer, sad and difficult. A few hours would pass, and Naoto would walk Nanako home. Rise, for her part, would end up feeling useless and try to scan for Teddie in the other world, but find nothing of value before returning home. The entire Investigation Team and funeral party would disperse to their own residences, unable to talk after the difficult day. Naoto, of course, would get nothing more than a small break before making sure someone would stay with Nanako as she returned to the police station, trying to go over the case. By the time she returned to her grandfather’s home, which is to say, her own residence, she had to climb past the crime scene tape and finally into bed, sighing. It was hard, but eventually, she managed to fall into a deep slumber after placing her cellphone on the nightstand...

Of course, little did she know what this would mean later.


	9. » The Third Reload « Rebirth.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new persona. A fool in reverse seeking to right his wrongs... and an old fool who became the universe hoping to impart knowledge.
> 
> Michael can only hope that his former charge does what is right, and accepts the life he’s been given, now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd here we are at the meat of the change: WELCOME TO THE TRAGICOMEDY THAT IS MICHAEL AND GABRIEL’S LIFE. I do adore these two, as sad as they are.
> 
> I won’t spoil it. I think it’s best read. I didn’t really feel like focusing too much on the rest of the Room, because this is all about Gabriel and Michael.

* * *

_Velvet Room, unknown time later..._

It’s hard for me to admit, but when I find myself drifting back in the darkness... I’m terrified. At first, all I’m conscious of is the feeling of being immensely cold in the darkness. Like I’d never be warm again, not even if I took a hot bath. Not even if I set myself on fire. I’m plummeting downwards, the icy water feeling overwhelms me and for a horrible moment, I’m choking, running out of air. Can I breathe? I feel like the dark is threatening to consume me. Just as I feel like I might drown, my eyes fly open to... blue. A lot of blue. At first, my muddled mind thinks it’s water. I’m gasping for air, breathing heavily. I still feel cold, like I’ve been soaking in ice and I’ll never get warm... The next thing my eyes see as I cough and sputter is a pair of vivid, green eyes behind glasses. They blink at me, and I blink back. Everything comes into focus... and as my heartbeat slows a little, I realize the buzzing feeling in the back of my mind isn’t going away. It’s... not quite Personas, is it? It’s... something else. I’m not entirely sure what, yet, but I feel... more connected to everything than I ever have in my entire life. It’s almost overwhelming, but thankfully, the connection is innate and quiet, rather than overpowering and loud.

The pair of eyes staring at me is accompanied by a voice, this time.

“Oh, good. You’ve awakened... Master, he is conscious...”

... It is rather unfortunate that the next face I see is that of Igor’s. As I slowly become more aware of my surroundings, I realize what I had been groggily mistaking for water was, in fact, just a lot of blue–colored items in the Velvet Room. And it really is a room right now, rather than the limo I’m used to. It... reminds me a little of a fancy apartment or something. I’m on a sofa, and across me I can see two girls speaking: one is Margaret, and the other I don’t recognize, but somehow immediately know as—

_‘... Elizabeth...’_

It’s... a little disconcerting that I automatically just know things. I’m realizing that it’s not only my own mind, but that of the one next to me I’m connecting with. Michael offers me a hand, and I take it, shakily sitting up. Igor, watching the proceedings, nods to himself, then turns to look at Michael.

“Wonderful. It seems your mission was a success...” Igor turns to look at me, now. “You may consider this your birth. ... I will allow Michael to explain the details, given your familiarity. But, do be aware that our role in this is a passive one... I did warn you, did I not? That battle is not the only way to be defeated... it is a shame, but sometimes, this is the way the world works... life is unpredictable, even for me.”

With a chuckle and a vague grin, Igor leaves to another part of the room.

“I’m sorry... I know it was a little abrupt. Are you... all right?”

I nod mutely. I still feel... slightly choked, and strange. I’m trying... to remain calm right now. It’s... difficult, even for me. Michael takes a seat next to me, and I put a hand to my head, vaguely realizing I’m wearing a pair of glasses... like... the ones in the TV. For a moment, my own name was even escaping me. My memories are foggily beginning to return to me, but... I still feel unsettled, somehow.

“I was beginning to get worried that you might not come around,” Michael says, concern still on his face. “You see, it wasn’t as... convenient for you as it was for me when it happened. Getting to your soul took a good deal of work... You can thank our Master for that. He is truly amazing.”

I nod once more, quiet. ... Wait, does this mean he was human once, like me? 

“Are you sure you’re okay? Is the connection... unsettling you?”

The concern was apparent. Michael was still worried about me, it seemed...

“I... yes, I’m fine. Panicking over this sort of thing isn’t really something I do.”

... Though I’m saying that more to reassure myself than anything else. All I can think about in the back of my mind is the coldness, like... a dead body—no, we’re stopping this logic train right here, changing tracks. I look down at myself proper, and realize I’m... wearing clothing that looks a lot like Margaret’s. Did she have a hand in this...? The subconscious connection I could feel was... odd. It nagged at me, but not... like the coldness. Mostly, I should’ve expected this. After all, he DID tell me it would be nothing like when I was... alive. I suppose... this means I really am dead, aren’t I?

“There’s a mirror over there, if you would... like to get a better look at yourself. I must warn you it won’t be like... well, before. Do not be shocked.”

I stand up slowly, getting used to what I’m wearing, and wander over to the mirror. What looks back at me is mildly startling. Yellow eyes, brighter hair... it’s snowy white, unlike how it used to be gray... and a rather fancy blue outfit not unlike Margaret’s. A pair of glasses, like my old ones, and... hm. Were my ears pierced...? Well, it’s... different. This was one way to set me apart from before, I suppose.

“... It’s... certainly different.”

Michael gives a humorless smile to me; I can tell he’s sympathetic. It seems he doesn’t mind it all that much, but...

“... Do you know how Shadows work?” He asks me. I frown. To be honest... although I fought them and I knew they came from people’s suppressed sides, I realize I don’t actually understand them all that well. Simply how to fight them. So I shake my head.

“Is... that what I am now?”

The yellow eyes... honestly, there’s no other way to mistake it, for me. Surprisingly, Michael shakes his head.

“Yes and no. Your body is that of most Shadows, like my own, however... the rest of you is created and connected to this space, like myself. You are now a being of power, of the unconscious mind, like us. It is a great honor, and a great responsibility.”

To be honest, it’s taking a lot not to freak out right now. I still feel a little like I can’t breathe or that I might drown, but I figure that will pass with time... but the coldness will probably never leave.

“... So... now what?”

Michael is quiet for a moment, contemplative.

“Well... first things first, I suppose: Souji Seta is dead, soon to be abandoned, and has been properly buried as of your awakening. You’ll need a new name.”

I don’t really think about it too hard, honestly... with Michael’s name fresh on my mind, I just blurt out whatever comes to my thoughts after it:

“... Gabriel work?”

He looks thoughtful.

“The angel of truth...” He replies, amused. “Yes, I suppose that will do.”

I force a small grin.

“Great. Now we match.” I can’t help being a little sarcastic, even now. “But... I need to talk to her. You did promise.”

Michael glances back behind us to the three presently conversing on their own: Margaret, Igor, and Elizabeth, the one I’d never really met before now. Igor turns to nod to him, giving him permission. If I didn’t know any better, I would almost say he was being... kind. Since this was my first day, and all.

“... I did, didn’t I? Master has given me permission for one, and only one, situation where you may still speak to her as ‘Souji Seta’, but after that... you will truly be dead. You will only have her dreams to rely on. I’ll have to teach you how to manipulate them, it isn’t overly complicated...”

... Naoto. I couldn’t trust anyone else but her to carry on with the case. It had to be her. She was the smartest one out of the team, she figured so much out before she even knew about the TV world... but my heart silently aches as it’s finally settling in that I will never be able to hold my girlfriend ever again. Never be able to go to school ever again. Never hear ‘welcome home, big bro!’ from Nanako ever again... I really have let everyone down... for a moment, my thoughts drift to my uncle and the inseparable bonds I’d forged with Nanako and him. They... must be taking it hard. I want to go see them, but I can’t. I’m dead...

“My uncle... he told me once he was afraid to become a family and lose it all over again. That he’d... make sure not to lose the things most important to him. ... I... really let him down.”

I look down, ashamed. Michael is giving me a look of pure sympathy, once I manage to look back up, forcing a small smile.

“... Souji–kun...”

... To hear him call me that, it’s... strange. But it speaks volumes to me... his sympathy is genuine. He’s been in my shoes... I can tell.

“... I’ll tell you a little about my old life.”

Michael rubs the bridge of his nose, removing his glasses for a moment. Something about him as he does this makes him seem... a lot older than he looks.

“There was another person I used to be. I was given the option; we both have it, to erase our memories of our past lives... if you wanted to do that, I could—”

I shake my head vehemently, not letting him even finish his sentence. I refuse. I won’t forget what’s most important to me... why I’m here now.

“... No. I can’t do that. To forget who I was would mean who I am now would be... someone entirely different. I want to live my life now differently from then.”

Michael nods. His expression is an understanding one. He places the glasses back on his face, looking directly at me.

“I understand completely.” He pauses, and takes the watch in the pocket of his coat out. It’s intricate looking, and old. A butterfly is engraved on the lid. He turns it over in his hand a few times before he goes on.

“It still feels odd, you know. To call myself ‘Michael’. I know what you’re dealing with. My death was... different from yours, though. I willingly gave up my life... it was my choice, but...”

He looks down, quiet. I’m beginning to realize this is what I’ve always felt... different, about him. Now I know what it is: he feels more... human. And yet, he also feels as though he’s protecting me... was this why he was angry?

“... So you _were_ human once.” I say, looking over at him. He nods.

“Yes. I used to be a wild card, like you. I... sacrificed my life energy to create a Seal between human negativity—known as Erebus—and a Goddess. She wasn’t evil, she just... wanted humans not to suffer anymore...”

The feeling I get from Michael as he tells me this... he’s a lot better a person than I ever was. I didn’t really live up to his shadow at all, did I? I feel ashamed to have ruined everything he worked for.

“That’s why you were angry.”

He nods again.

“... I wasn’t the only one who did it, there have been a lot of... convoluted happenings in between, but yes. That was... about a year before your own journey, actually.”

I’m not quite sure what he means by that, but if he wasn’t the only person to give up his life so that I could live, and everyone else could... well, that would certainly explain his reason for being so upset with me. I can see why; I’d basically ruined all that he sacrificed. I found myself wondering what sort of family and friends he left behind.

“... Did you have any family?”

He shakes his head no.

“All of my family died when I was younger, about ten years prior to the start of my own journey. My... parents died in a car crash on the Moonlight Bridge, Iwatodai. You know it, I believe?” As I nod, he goes on. “After that I was shipped around from foster home to foster home, and I didn’t really have anywhere I could call home until I came back to Port Island, ten years later...”

... I’m surprised by just how similar we were, in the end. It sounded a lot like my own life... granted, my parents were still alive, but...

“It’s funny, really... that boy died with his answers, entirely happy, so certain of himself. But I was born because of the exact opposite reason... I watched my friends suffer immensely because of my selfishness, and because of my inability to be what was necessary.”

... He didn’t strike me as someone who was very selfish. It’s an odd statement to make. I raise a brow, wondering how he could possibly be selfish.

“... Selfishness...?”

His smile was... wry, now. Michael’s voice is the one of someone who has seen a little too much. I’ve never seen him look so guilty... so... sad.

“Because of me, they created a personal hell for themselves, fought each other, nearly tore one another apart, and almost escaped to the past... just because they wanted to see me again. Because I didn’t... help them move past me.”

I think I understand now why he was telling me this... our situations are very similar. He’s telling me, basically, that... I have to give them closure. Through Naoto... I can’t leave this unfinished like he did. For myself, and in a way, for him... After a moment, he stands up from where he is and motions to the mirror. He’d obviously had enough personal talk and wanted to do something, just as I did.

“Here. I’ll show you how to manipulate a person’s dreams.”

I slowly stand and walk over to the mirror. It... looks like a totally normal mirror to me. ... Seeing my own reflection is still a little unsettling, and I’m not used to seeing myself quite this pale to begin with... he probably has a reason for this, though.

“How does it work?”

Michael motions to the mirror.

“We are beings of the collective unconscious. Every person has an unconscious and conscious mind, and the subconscious can be dialed into through a medium. This is why the Persona Compendium is the ‘weapon’ we use to fight with—our power is both extreme, and also raw. It needs a medium to work through.”

A nod to show I’m listening. I... think I get it, at least. That explains the odd connectedness I’ve been feeling, I suppose... Michael continues.

“Through the mirror, you can contact and view your old ‘world’. Of course, it requires some finesse. The hardest part is finding the right person... you need to calm yourself and focus on who it is you’re looking for. Put a bit of yourself into the mirror, and reach out to the person of your choice. If we’re lucky, she’ll be asleep right now.”

... How did he—

“... Are you surprised?” Michael gives a rare chuckle, and I notice he’s smiling just slightly. It’s likely fake, but he did well at covering up his emotions. “You probably can’t control it yet, yourself, but our subconscious connection means there’s very little that all of us don’t know between one another and our guests.”

Well, that explains why it felt like Igor would know if I was being dishonest. But isn’t that kind of like... spying on a person’s thoughts? ... Wait, does that mean—

“Well, it’s only invasive if you do it intentionally.”

... I totally called that. Michael crosses his arms.

“Right now, you’re probably having some trouble not reading the thoughts at random of the people around you, and not feeling all of the collective in the back of your mind, whispering.”

Except I couldn’t entirely read his or the others at all. I only picked up on what it was they seemed to want me to hear. And I had a feeling even if I could put up a block, Igor would be able to work past it.

“I’ll... help teach you how to control that, both ways. You’ll need a lot of training... but first, we’ll focus on this, so you can get your message to Miss Shirogane.”

And that’s what I’m the most eager to do. Michael walks me through the process of ‘dialing up’ my world, and I keep my mind on Naoto. All the things that make her... well, her. Her determination, her large vocabulary, her poor social skills, her love for detective work, her compassion for her friends... for me. How she puts herself so much into every investigation, how she doubts herself, and how her rare smile was so charming...

 _Smash_.

Sadly, the first time through, I put a little too much energy into the mirror and it shatters. Michael gives a small frown, and with a wave of his hand, he repairs the shattered mirror.

“Sorry.” I tell him, feeling a little guilty. He’s got to teach me the magic trick to repairing things by waving a hand, though.

“It’s fine, I didn’t expect you to get it immediately. Focus this time on how harshly you channel your energy, though... control it. Don’t let the opposite happen. You control it, not the other way around. If you just let it roam freely through your fingers, you’ll never get anywhere. You have to reach out to it... pull it in when it gets too far too quickly.”

It’s... a lot to take in at once, but somehow, with his gentle direction, I understand what to do. I place my hand back over the mirror, and it takes... a long time for me to even get it right. One try has me break it again, and still another has me put too little energy into it... but with every attempt, I learn quicker. I get a little better at it. I understand what I’m doing just a little more. Eventually, my hard work pays off, and the mirror glows faintly, showing Naoto walking home through the fog. There she was... and for the first time since we’d spoken earlier, my heart positively aches in pain. I can’t see her. I want to, desperately, but I can’t... so, this is the next best thing. I see her canvassing the area, shaking down people, talking to cops, then meeting with the others. She’s working so hard, despite everything. I can sense Michael is watching as well, and there’s a kind of... nostalgic look on his face. I hear him whispering to himself.

“... The same...”

I don’t catch most of it, because I can’t... tear my eyes away from Naoto and my friends. I miss them already... my response is a little delayed. The image had changed from Naoto to the rest of my team in turn: Yosuke, by himself, listening to his CD player with a numb look on his face as Teddie tried to cheer him up, but Yosuke said something I couldn’t quite make out and the younger boy left, looking down. Yukiko and Chie, who didn’t seem to want to leave one another’s company... and Rise, who was staring at a photo on her phone. I realize quickly that it was of me, and seeing her that way made the guilt even worse—she truly had cared about me, and the crush she had seemed trivial at the time, but it made me feel even worse. The last one in my thoughts showed me the textile shop. In his room, Kanji was putting his feelings into his fists with a punching bag, trying to keep from feeling too much by beating something up. I could feel what they did just faintly from the subconscious connection in the back of my mind, and it made it even harder to watch, harder to bear as the weight of all that I’d done settled in on me like Atlas, forced to carry the earth on his back.

Eventually, I manage to detach my eyes from the mirror to Michael. His expression, I notice, seemed to be fighting not to be the same as mine after watching this with me: deeply regretful, pained, guilty. I could sense, maybe from our connection, that he was thinking of the people he’d mentioned before, and how he had let them all down.

“... What’s the same?”

Michael just shakes his head, glancing downward. He can’t even force a smile right now.

“... They remind me of his friends. When I look at yours, I see the people he knew...”

He must mean his old friends. The way he says it... really drives it home for me. To talk about himself as though he was someone else... this was what it meant to be reborn. To give up your old life. I’m quiet, unsure how to reply, and he speaks again.

“... I...” He begins, but there’s hesitation in his voice, which was always rare for anyone from the Room, much less him. “... I didn’t want to see you make the same mistakes I did.”

I couldn’t just say nothing. I managed to finally look away fully from the mirror to the other attendant.

“You really do have regrets, don’t you?”

He nods quietly to me. Unfinished business he’d never be able to fix... was this why he was so upset with me? The longer I was here, the more I realized I had screwed up. Michael sighs.

“The mistake of leaving them behind, keeping them at an arm’s length... that was my mistake. Twice, in fact. ... Waiting for them to come to you instead of taking the initiative... it’s funny. You were a lot better at taking charge with people than I was. Even though I was tasked with looking after you, I had hoped I would be able to prevent you from making my mistakes... and yet...”

... This still happened. I was still an idiot. The more I understand about Michael and his situation, the more I find myself wanting to right what I did wrong so that I won’t be left the way he is. I turn my attention fully back to the mirror and watch Naoto once again. I fall silent, and find myself tapping my foot impatiently, desperately waiting for Naoto to sleep, but it doesn’t happen. She’s running herself ragged after my death, it seems, doing all she can to keep everyone together, to keep them and herself from falling apart like wet paper. I wish I could reach out and hug her, shake her... something... _anything_. But I can’t... Naoto, please, don’t do this to yourself without me... throwing herself into her work, is this... how she’s coping? I’m so absorbed in this, I don’t notice Michael’s actions next to me.

“Give me a moment, and I’ll leave you alone.”

Michael reaches next to me to wave a hand over the mirror himself, and suddenly, the image changes: it’s nighttime, and Naoto is preparing for bed, FINALLY. She’s been up far too long... as she goes to sleep, and I watch her do so, I find myself nervous. Would she... be alright with seeing me when I’d failed her and betrayed her? ... She didn’t even know I went behind her back. And after all we went through together...

“Do you know what you want to tell her?” Michael says, and I’m snapped back out of my thoughts abruptly.

I nod slowly, without even thinking much about what I’ll say.

“... Pretty much.”

I knew in general what I wanted to tell her, anyway... about Adachi, first and foremost. I figure I’ll make up the rest as I go. As I contemplate this, Michael takes the ultramarine Velvet Key out of his pocket and places it in my hand with a somewhat forced smile. I close my fist around it.

“You should be the one to give this to her. This key was yours, after all, and it feels right to me that you be the one to hand it to her.”

He pauses, here.

“It goes without saying, but... even if you have made mistakes, I trust your judgement, Gabriel.” ... It would be hard to get used to being called that. Michael holds up a single gloved finger, now. “One moment as ‘Souji Seta’. This moment will define everything, and leave an impact on her strong enough to pass your gift on...”

I exhale. The way he says it puts me slightly on edge. This is all I’ve got... my final shot. I can’t see her after this. ... It’s time. All I have to do is put myself into this and pull her into this space, right? It shouldn’t be that hard. As I nod to him, he steps away from me, and I turn back to the mirror, placing a hand over it. It was now or nothing. All those tries before... I needed to focus on her. What made Naoto herself, and find her dreams. I feel a pulling sensation, and I’m... suddenly somewhere else, surrounded by fog. It’s hard to make out what’s around me, everything is covered and difficult to see. This must be her dreamscape. All that was left to do was to locate her... I wonder how she’ll react? I have no way of knowing until I find her...


End file.
